By Hannah Stewart (Commā19)
As an arts student, Cassidy Davis dreamed of working in the entertainment industry. But when she became a hockey fan, her interests turned to event management and sports media.
The last three-and-a-half yearsāwhich included six internships, many in sportsāonly validated her new dream of working in the sports world. This winter, sheās being recognized with the William W. White Outstanding Graduate award as a result of her hard work and determination.
Davis, a strategic communication major, knew she wanted to study advertising when she was applying for college, but she wanted to focus on the creative side of the business. After taking a few core classes, she discovered a love for copywriting and working with people, so she switched her concentration to public relations and hasnāt looked back.
āThe best part of my time at CU has been getting such broad experience, including public relations, sports media and graphic design,ā she said. āBeing able to study all of my little niches and learning how to put them together has made me confident about applying what Iāve learned at work.ā
Checking out hockey
She began her undergraduate career in fall 2020, the middle of the pandemic. With social distancing and so-called āCOVID bubblesā in place, she spent many nights doing homework while occasionally watching a hockey game. Occasionally transformed into frequently, and frequently turned into enthusiastically.
āWhen I became a fan of hockey, I really became a fan of hockey,ā she said. āThatās when I started thinking, event management would be cool, and started learning about other sports.ā
āIām very grateful for my time at CU and I feel like Iām so dedicated to finding a career Iām incredibly passionate about. Iām super excited to see what happens after graduation.ā
Cassidy Davis
Davisā newfound passion for the industry led her to the sports media minor, which paved the way for several internships, including with Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, CAA Icon, the Colorado Rapids and moreāshe even got to live out her hockey-fan dreams by taking a picture with the Stanley Cup after the Colorado Avalanche won the title in 2022. Now sheās working with CU Athletics as a marketing and fan experience intern and loves it.
āI do a lot of the promotions during the media timeouts for every single sport,ā Davis said. āMy favorite experience has to be my time with CU Athletics and just being able to put my love for sports into my love for my college and my university.ā
In addition to sports media, Davis also chose to minor in creative technology and design because of its emphasis on graphics and creative design. She said she pursued the minor in order to become Ģżmore well rounded.
Largely because of her academics, she has been able to more fully take part in the campus community, which she says is key to student success. Her advice to incoming students is to ājoin as much as you can and not be afraid to try for something, and make as many connections as you possibly can.ā
It was her relationship with Dawn Dotyāa teaching associate professor and someone Davis considers a mentorāthat encouraged her to participate in the prestigious Bateman Competition as a junior. Through her sports media minor, she met Mike Davies (Jourā94) who also has become a mentor.
āHeās been a huge help in saying, āWhat do you want to do with your career?ā and introducing me to people,ā Davis said. āIām just going to continue networking as much as I can and learning as much as I can.ā
āLike an all-starā
Doty called Davis one of the best students sheās taught in nearly a decade at CU Boulder.Ģż
āThe best PR people Iāve known throughout my career are a combination of smart, tenacious and tireless,ā Doty said. āCassidy demonstrated all three of these characteristics during the Bateman competition.ā
She said Davisā attention in class helped her compete for the internships that have set her up for professional success, but beyond that, āCassidy understands that being successful in the PR professionāand many othersārequires networking, and she does this like an all-star.
āShe has a clear vision of what she wants to do post-graduation, which helped her use her time at CU in a meaningful way.ā
When Davis reflects on the past three and a half years, she said that she feels lucky to have had supportive teachers, a solid foundation, and the chance to study and work within her passions. So achieving the outstanding graduate award is the perfect sendoff.
āIām very grateful for my time at CU and I feel like Iām so dedicated to finding a career Iām incredibly passionate about,ā she said. āCU gave me all the materials to get there, and Iām super excited to see what happens after graduation.ā