When Victoria Quintero submitted her application to volunteer at Super Bowl 54, she had high hopes for what the trip would bring.
She knew she would be volunteering with fellow entertainment management students at events leading up to the big game.
What Quintero didn’t know is that she was about to have the opportunity of a lifetime.
Connecting with fellow Bears
In the days leading up to the Super Bowl experience, MSU entertainment management alum and production coordinator for the Super Bowl halftime show, Amanda Bryant, was in communication with Dr. Phil Rothschild. Dr. Rothschild organizes the annual trip.
She asked him to randomly select a student to work with her during the Super Bowl 2020 halftime show. Quintero was the lucky recipient of this once in a lifetime opportunity.
“This is a great example of our alumni reaching out to us. We remind them to pay it forward, and Amanda definitely did,” said Dr. Rothschild.
An unforgettable experience
Quintero spent a jam-packed 12-hour day working in the stadium with Bryant and the rest of the crew helping wherever she could.
“I saw a lot of things we learned in the classroom being translated onto the field,” said Quintero. “Everyone was making everything an experience and making sure everyone was being taken care of.”
Bryant guided Quintero throughout the day as they went from task to task.
“Amanda took me under her wing, and everyone there really took care of me,” Quintero said.
While it was overwhelming at times to see it all come together for the day, the day wasn’t as intense as she expected it to be. It seemed a lot of the work for the day was done in the weeks and months before.
“The coolest part was being on the field during the halftime show and watching Jennifer Lopez and Shakira perform. It was insane,” said Quintero.
Reaffirming her path
Quintero originally wanted to pursue a career in the sports management field.
However, the further she got in her coursework, she realized she wanted to expand her horizons to other areas.
“The experience at the Super Bowl definitely reassured me that this is what I want to do and what I’m passionate about,” said Quintero. “The entertainment management program gave me this opportunity. There’s no way I would have been able to do this without them,” she said.