VandyShadow Program Opens 'Dores to Nashville's Leading Industries

The Vanderbilt University Career Center launched a new program entitled, “VandyShadow” that allows students to tap into their industry interests by connecting with employers in the Nashville community. Students had the opportunity to apply for the program and be matched with professionals from companies such as 亚马逊 , Eco-Energy LLC , and the Tennessee Titans . If your company is interested in hosting a Vanderbilt student for a day of shadowing, email Grace Janoski , Director of Center Innovation, at [email protected] .

By Bella Guzman?

As a participant in this inaugural program, allow me to tell you what my day at VandyShadow looked like.?

At 8:30 am I got in a ride-share with another cohort member, Alexandra Hinshaw , to travel to the official site of the Tennessee Titans. The Career Center provided all VandyShadow participants with Lyft codes to cover the cost of transportation to and from each respective office. While pulling up to Gate One at the Titans Headquarters, I noticed the gorgeous surrounding scenery—water features, practice fields of green, and the Nashville city skyline just off in the distance. Lexi and I checked in at the gate for our security clearance and headed into the lobby to receive our visitor passes.?

The rest of our cohort, Elizabeth Li and Nathalie Larson , arrived shortly after and we were greeted by Vice President of Football Communications, Robbie Bohren. Bohren, a Vanderbilt Alum, brought us to meet the rest of our hosts for the day—Corporate Partnerships Activation Manager, Amanda Lockwood (VU Alum, ‘16) and Director of Social Media and Influencer Marketing Strategy, Nate Bain .??

To begin our shadowing session, we had an opportunity to meet with each of our hosts for one-on-one informational interviews. I got to share my unique experiences and background in the entertainment and media space as well as my involvement at Vanderbilt, while learning more about the operations that occur on the communications, media, and brand management side of the Tennessee Titans.?

Concluding our one-on-ones, we began a tour of the facility in the film room where features, podcasts, and interviews are recorded. Bohren explained that the room is configured in a way that allows multiple different backdrops or “sets” for filming, with preset lighting adjusted for each possible scene. Traveling through the rest of the levels of the office, we passed through conference spaces, the team’s weight and locker rooms, and then headed outside to the practice fields.?

The Titans have three grass practice fields which they rotate usage by the week to ensure the quality remains in prime condition. During their training camp, practices are open to the public so that fans can come and support the team and get excited about the upcoming season! The Titans also have a marvelous indoor facility which we got to experience.??

This tent-like dome uses air-supported technology to provide the team with an indoor space for practice, with the field itself using a more sustainable turf option that requires watering to maintain. Seeing this unique facility was one of the highlights of our shadowing experience! Returning indoors, we wrapped up our tour by viewing the screening room where the entire team gets together to watch film and strategize their gameplay, as well as the team’s dining hall.??

Once we had arrived back at our conference room, the cohort had a question-and-answer session with our hosts about their career journeys and advice they had for us as we begin to break into the industry. Our discussions revolved around pursuing graduate school, the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the entertainment industry—particularly within strategic marketing and data analytics—the process of obtaining and retaining brand partnerships with partner companies, having an awareness of and appealing to your fanbase demographic, and taking advantage of all of the opportunities Vanderbilt has to offer. To conclude the day, we had lunch and discussed the current happenings at Vanderbilt with Bohren, while learning more about what the experience at our school was like in previous years.??

My VandyShadow experience provided invaluable insight into the world of entertainment sports right at home in Nashville. Across the city, Vanderbilt students gained exposure to many industries, making relationships with influential community leaders. This program shows the versatility of what Nashville offers young professionals and how the Career Center provides for their journeys.??