Austin Williams first came to Palm Beach State College back in 2008 to do a career certificate program in barbering. “But when the pandemic hit, it really highlighted the fact that I needed to retrain to have more job security,” said the 45-year-old from Royal Palm Beach.
But Williams had another important motivation for returning to college: his son, now a senior in high school. “If I’m telling him the importance of going to college, how can I not go?” Williams said.
So, he returned to PBSC once again, this time to pursue information technology. “I was always interested in computers, so it seemed a good fit,” he said.
While at PBSC, Williams joined the Ethical Hackers Club and found his passion: cybersecurity. So, when the opportunity came up to apply for a paid internship focused on cybersecurity communication at TMRW Sports in February 2024, Williams jumped at the chance.
Since then, he’s been mainly on site at the newly built SoFi Center helping TMRW Sports prepare for the launch of its interactive golf league TGL on January 7. Although many employees at TMRW Sports work remotely, Williams preferred to remain on-site. “I took the opportunity to work in person so I could see all these new technologies and learn on the job how this machine communicates with all the others,” he said. “I learned on the job how to configure a lot of the technology to ensure all the devices communicate with one another and can be remotely controlled. I’m learning something new every single day.”
Williams’ enthusiasm and willingness to pitch in was recognized and rewarded by his supervisors who allowed him to work on a broad range of projects from networking and asset management to broadcasting. “He’s super curious, which is great for a technologist,” says William’s mentor and project supervisor Caitlin Norgard, TMRW Sports Director of Technology Programs and CRM and eCommerce.
“I like being immersed in all the technology operating systems,” said Williams. “But cybersecurity is my preference and where I see my future.”
It’s an area TMRW Sports is investing heavily in given the company is backed by numerous sports and entertainment superstars. “So many famous people have invested that it could be target for hackers which is why the company is focused extensively on cybersecurity,” Williams said.
Williams graduated on Dec. 13 with a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Information Management, Security and Network with a concentration in cybersecurity. “Austin proves that you’re never too late to change your career and grow,” TMRW Sports’ Norgard said.
Another TMRW Sports intern graduating this December who isn’t afraid of change is 22-year-old Eveny Adras. After getting her associate degree from PBSC four years ago, Adras planned to follow her mother into the nursing profession. But after just two semesters and doing her clinicals, she realized it wasn’t for her. “I decided to switch to what my Dad does—project management—and business administration, as I realized it was more my style,” she said.
Her degree required her to undertake an internship. When she learned of the opportunities at TMRW Sports, Adras, a sports fanatic, immediately applied. “I researched the company and when I saw how quickly it has grown from a small startup to a big company that is likely to become an even bigger one, I really wanted to be a part of it.”
For many students taking an internship typically means doing a bit of data entry or some filing or even the coffee run but working at TMRW Sports Adras quickly learned, did not.
As a sales activation intern in the company’s partnerships department, Adras’ role is to find potential sponsorship partners. In her role, she helps the team to develop pitches. “I’m getting real life, hands-on experience in many of the things I learned in my business courses at PBSC,” she said.
Adras, too, spends much of her time on site at the Palm Beach Gardens campus where the new SoFi Center is preparing for its January launch. One of her roles will be to help host partner night at the venue to introduce all the numerous brand sponsors TMRW Sports is working with to TGL. She plans to stay on for three months after receiving her Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Supervision & Management with a concentration in project management on Dec. 13. “My experience here has convinced me that I want to continue and pursue a master’s degree in digital marketing.
“As a company, our commitment to the College and the students is huge,” said TMRW Sports Human Resources Manager Kaitie Richardson. “We see the value in community at PBSC and the goal is to convert these students to full-time employees whenever the budget allows.”
SOURCE: Palm Beach State College TMRW Sports interns leave PBSC with diplomas and valuable new skills | Palm Beach State News
