Brittany Hall knew it was time for a change.
She had been working at a desk job for years and felt stuck inside. Seeing her husband, who works as a university track coach, live his dream every day inspired her to chase her own.
“I wanted to find a career in a field that I’m passionate about,” she said.
The first step she took was speaking with a representative from SNU at a job fair. Going back to school can be scary when you consider the time and financial commitments, but luckily, Brittany said, “she eased my fears for me.”
As a member of the National Guard, she was able to receive assistance from the SNU VETS Center toward completing her degree.
Throughout the Sport Management and Administration program, Brittany leaned on her family and peers for support. “You learn so much about those people,” she said of her classmates. “They’re in the trenches with you.”
The highlight of her time at SNU came during the Professional Connections Trip, Hall said. This is a course during the program where students travel to network with different professionals in the sporting industry.
“We flew to Toronto and met with sports teams,” Hall said. “The highlight of the trip was getting to know that there’s more than just coaching.”
Then, just months from graduation, she did it. She landed her dream job as the running director for Fields and Futures, a nonprofit in Oklahoma City that builds and repairs fields to create better experiences for high school athletes.
As the running director, she delivers materials to schools, hosts clinics, attends track meets and more.
Recently, she was able to work at a clinic at Jefferson Middle School where a fellow student, Cruce Wilkinson, is the track coach.
Cruce Wilkinson and Brittany Hall at a Fields and Future coaching clinic.
She said her favorite part of working clinics is, "seeing the excitement in the kids. Running could change their lives because it changed mine. It could open a whole new world for them.”
Her advice to other adults just starting out in their education is to “take advantage of everything the program offers.”
Who knows? You just might end up living your dream too.
