Knoxville Knox County Sports Authority Announces
College Internship Program for Summer 2024

The Knoxville Knox County Sports Authority announces applications are open for the Summer 2024 College Internship Program. Paid internship positions will be open to applicants with a deadline to apply by Friday, February 9, 2024.

The goal of the program is to expose college students to leadership roles and experience in specific industries of interest related to the construction and operations of the new multi-use stadium project. Applicants of all backgrounds including underrepresented populations are encouraged to apply. The hope is to create a pipeline of highly skilled professionals of diverse backgrounds through the career opportunities associated with the multi-use stadium in Knoxville. 

“The Internship Program is designed to create opportunities for students of varying backgrounds. We’ve had two very successful cohorts of well qualified interns. Our employers have been extremely satisfied with our interns and in some occasions have hired them as employees in the company.  Internships are an avenue that develops professional aptitude, encourages character growth, and often opens doors to professional careers,” said Rosalyn Tillman, Former Dean of Pellissippi State Community College Magnolia Campus, and Chair of the Sports Authority Internship Committee.  “The internships provide opportunities to students capitalizing on their potential to positively impact the Knoxville/Knox County community through a multi-disciplined approach.”

Visit Knoxville, acting as the Internship Program Administrator, is guided by the Sports Authority Internship Program Committee. The Committee invited employers to offer these unique opportunities and will recruit students from a variety of colleges and universities. The Committee will review applications, conduct interviews, and provide recommended candidates to each prospective employer for interviews and final decisions.

Visit Knoxville is assisting the Internship program  by collecting and providing applications to the Sports Authority Internship Committee. Visit Knoxville will also facilitate student placements and agreements with intern employers and provide mid-point and final evaluation surveys of students and employers.

“We are pleased to continue to support the Sports Authority by serving as administrator for its internship program,” said Kim Bumpas, President of Visit Knoxville. “This program is ripe with opportunity for bright young students interested in a variety of professional fields that will ultimately benefit both their individual career paths and the multi-use stadium for years to come.”

“As an aspiring Civil Engineer, being a part of this program has given me the opportunity to learn and grow both technically and professionally. Working with S&ME has given me a better understanding of what the engineering process is, and how a project moves from the design phase to the construction phase,” said Kristen Theilmann, 2022 Sports Authority Summer Intern with S&ME. “Being a part of the internship provided me with the opportunity to continue working with S&ME on a part-time basis. I am very grateful to have been a part of this program, and I believe it is an amazing opportunity for anyone who wants to participate.”

“I do believe that I can apply the skills that I've learned from this internship to any career in the future. I've had an awesome experience with DIA and the company is amazing,” said Megan Bonawitz, 2023 Sports Authority Summer Intern with DIA Marketing. “I have a great support team and people that I can learn from. I couldn't have been placed in a better place.  I don't believe that the KKSA internship program could've made the process any better for me. Everyone was very helpful and supportive along the way.”

“I definitely feel that this internship will be beneficial to my career. It gave me a behind the scenes outlook on the sports industry,” said Jacaila Davis, 2023 Sports Authority Summer Intern with the Tennessee Smokies. “I felt really a part of the team and honestly felt like the game days wouldn’t have happened without the department I was working with. I don’t think there was anything else the KKSA program could have done. I think it was pretty solid, members were very transparent and that was really appreciated.”

“I am super thankful to have been able to cross paths and participate with the Knoxville-Knox County Sports Authority 2023 Summer Internship Program! From the multiple interviews in the hiring process to gaining experience in the field; I truly feel like this experience was vital to my future career," said Cameron Spivey, 2023 Sports Authority Summer Intern with Denark Construction. “I feel as if the Sports Authority Internship Program made this a very smooth process and it worked very efficiently for me. Again, I would just like to say thank you to everybody within the Internship Program for making this a very rewarding experience for me! I will continue to work as an intern part-time until January, when I will start in a full-time position with Denark!”

Available paid internship position opportunities:

• Denark Construction, Inc. - Project Intern
• Design Innovation Architects (DIA) - Marketing Intern
• GEOServices, LLC - Staff Professional CMT Intern
• Knoxville Community Development Corporation - Development & Public Finance Intern
• Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB) - Engineering Student Intern
• Moxley Carmichael - Public Relations Intern
• OneKnox Soccer Club - Ticket Operations Intern
• SAM Company - Geomatic Instrument Operator Intern
• Tennessee Smokies Marketing/Community - Relations Intern
• Tennessee Smokies Stadium - Operations Intern

These internships will take place in the summer of 2024 for 8-10 weeks/40 hours per week program with exact dates and schedules to be determined by the intern and employer.

Additional Details, position descriptions, and application can be found at sportsauthorityinternship.com.

ABOUT THE SPORTS AUTHORITY
The Sports Authority Board is a joint board of the City of Knoxville and Knox County. The Board was created for the purpose of planning, financing, constructing, and managing a publicly owned sports and entertainment stadium in East Knoxville, near the Old City.

Knoxville City Council and Knox County Commission approved the formation of the Sports Authority of the County of Knox and the City of Knoxville in December 2020. The Sports Authority governing board is comprised of seven directors jointly appointed by the City and County. The slate of directors presented to Knoxville City Council and Knox County Commission has been vetted and is recommended by both the City and County Mayors.

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Kristen Combs
Director of Communications
Visit Knoxville
865.306.4341 c
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