Mike Keller
Q&A
Q. Where are you employed? What is your Title?
I am employed with the Beaver Athletic Student Fund at Oregon State Athletics. Regional Director of Development
Q. What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of my job is interacting with donors at any level and convincing someone to donate to the BASF because they want to support
student-athletes and not just receive a ticket benefit.
Q. What do you consider to be your most valuable contribution to your organization for which you work?
My most valuable contribution to the BASF thus far has been the new ideas and concepts, which I have brought from past experience, for
growing our donor base at Oregon State. I have helped implement two new giving programs within the annual fund to encourage philanthropic
donations from the donor base.
Q. Given your career path, where do you see yourself in 10 years?
10 years from now I see myself as an assistant or associate athletic director of development at a BCS school.
Q. Do you have any words of advice/recommendations? a. for undergrads still searching for a major-would
you recommend RST and why?, b. for the undergrads currently in the program c. for the senior currently looking for his/her
first position.
a. For anyone who has a passion for sports I would recommend RST. It takes a lot of hard work to break into the sports world, but once you
get that break all of the hard work is worth it. There is no other career that offers the wide variety and job satisfaction of the sports world.
It is a field that offers a wide array of opportunities from marketing, to professional sports, to college athletics, all the way to being an agent.
b. For those undergrads currently in the program, take advantage of every opportunity you may have. The one thing you need in the sports industry
is experience. You have to be willing to do unpaid internships over the summer. Volunteer during the school year with the athletic department.
Don't be afraid of any situation. Get experience in as many different areas of sports as possible. This will give you an idea of where you want
to go after graduation. Also, use your professors as a resource. Many of them are willing to help you get connected to professional, so long as
you are willing to work. You must treat internships as a prolonged interview process. Finally, don’t become discouraged. If you truly want to
work in sports and you work hard, it will pay off.
c. For the seniors looking for your first position, don’t be afraid to take another internship. There are many internships within college
athletics that are one year long and are given to those with bachelor's degrees and many times master’s degrees. Also, think about grad school.
Many times to advance in sports you will need a masters degree. Use any connections to the sports world that you may have. If you have done
internships in the past and performed well these people will be more than willing to help out. Do not be afraid to ask for help. Always be
networking and put yourself in situations to succeed.
Q. Please add anything else that might be helpful.
My biggest piece of advice is to be patient. If you work hard and network you will get your break.