College of Education and Human Development
Students Are Part of the Action, Helping Coordinate World Police & Fire Games
June 11, 2015
For Sam Otey, every day is about what happens next.
That is saying something, because as coordinator of venue branding for Fairfax2015, which is hosting the World Police & Fire Games, Otey already has plenty on his plate. There is signage to secure at 53 venues and hospitality tents he must ensure are appropriately stocked with giveaways and snacks for the athletes.
But Otey, who graduated from George Mason University in the spring with a sport management degree, said the job is as much about what he will do tomorrow as it is about his responsibilities today.
(left to right) Sam Otey, Ashley Turnbow, Taylor Whitmore, and Will Jackson work at the Fairfax County Government Center on the upcoming World Police and Fire Games coming to Fairfax County this summer. Three are graduates or current students of the School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism at George Mason University. Photo by Evan Cantwell.
“It has a lot to do with how I plan my time wisely,” Otey said, “thinking through what happens next before it happens and having my ducks in a row so I’m not surprised or shocked with anything when it comes.”
Thirteen of the 61 World Police & Fire Games competitions are to be held at George Mason from June 26 to July 5. The event—open to firefighters and police worldwide—has been an extended classroom for the 15 or so Mason students either interning or volunteering with Fairfax2015.
From answering phones, to handling sponsor fulfillment, to helping cultivate corporate support, Mason students are getting real-world experience applying what they learned in the classroom and setting foundations for life after college.
Otey and three other interns were so impressive that Fairfax2015 hired them to full-time, paying jobs.
Taylor Whitmore, who graduated in the spring with a degree in tourism and events management, and Ashley Turnbow, a sport and recreation studies graduate student, are coordinators of events services. Will Jackson, a class of 2017 physics major, is coordinator of sports production for the competition that organizers say will attract 10,000 athletes from 63 countries.
“It’s active work, which is great,” Otey said. “I’ve learned a lot about dealing with other people in the workplace. And I would say a lot of the stuff that I learned in class was very applicable for what I’m doing now.”
“The beauty of it is now they are able to take on other big events,” said Abena Aidoo, assistant professor in Mason’s College of Education and Human Development, which includes the school of Recreation, Health and Tourism. “They get to go behind the scenes and get hands-on experience in various aspects of events management such as venue and volunteer management, event implementation, budgeting and advertising, and social media, so they can begin to identify what they are interested in.”
Take Turnbow, who grew up wanting to join law enforcement. Her focus changed in college to events management. But her work for Fairfax2015 helping coordinate housing and safety procedures for the athletes puts her in close contact with local public safety officials, and that renewed her interest in the profession.
For Whitmore, enduring the pace of the workaday world has been the most challenging.
“Just kind of getting yourself in the frame of mind that I’m working 13 hours today and I have to work another 13 hours tomorrow, and it’s going to continue until the games are over,” she said. “And also working as a team. There are a lot of moving parts and you have to adjust yourself to the schedule of everyone else as well as finding your own rhythm.”
The benefits are not one-sided.
“Without the ones we have now, we couldn’t continue doing what we’re doing,” Kim Palmese, Farfax2015’s director of ceremonies and special events said of Mason’s volunteers and interns. “We’ve been very lucky.”
This article was written by Damian Cristodero and originally appeared on Mason News.
For additional information:
- CEHD Communications: cehdnews@gmu.edu
- School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism: rht.gmu.edu
About the college:
George Mason University's College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) includes two schools: the Graduate School of Education, one of the most comprehensive education schools in Virginia, and the School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism. CEHD offers a full range of courses, certificates, and degree programs on campus, online, and on site to more than 4,000 students each year. CEHD is fully accredited by NCATE, and all licensure programs are approved by the Virginia Department of Education. George Mason University, located just outside of Washington, D.C., is Virginia's largest public research university.
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