Living a dream
Danielle Starns realized early on that her declared major of finance wasn't the path she wanted to take. After switching to communications, Danielle looked for ways to combine those skills with her love for arts and entertainment, particularly fashion and music. After public relations internships for a New York City fashion house and a music agency, a stint on the advertising staff of the Akron Beacon-Journal, and a year of work in London, Danielle is back in her dream city, New York, as a department assistant in human resources for the NBA.
Fashion first
Her biggest love is fashion, so during her sophomore year, Danielle put together a list of her favorite designers and some of the top public relations firms in New York City. She sent out letters to all of them and ended up with an internship with Badgley Mischka, a well-known couture and bridal designer.
Music muse
That same summer, Danielle completed a second internship with Lizzie Grubman, a publicist who has worked for musicians like Britney Spears and Jay-Z. By the end of the summer, Danielle decided she didn't want to work for a PR agency. "If I was going to stay in PR, I would stay in the fashion industry," she said.
London love
Danielle's biggest regret was not studying abroad while at Miami. After a year of selling ads for her hometown paper, she applied for the MountBatten Internship Program in London that gives American students and recent graduates the chance to gain experience working in the business world. Danielle was placed at a law firm where she worked for their graduate recruitment program, helping law students transition to internships at the firm. "I enjoyed working in human resources, and I knew that once I got back to the States, I was going to focus on finding a job in HR, and I wanted to stick with arts and entertainment."
Basketball diaries
The day that Danielle flew back to the U.S., she had an interview to work in the HR department of the NBA. Although she hadn't seen herself working for a sports organization, she liked the NBA's off-court involvement, such as international leagues and their "Basketball Without Borders" program. "As I read more about it, it seemed like something I could fit with," she said. "Because I work in HR, it's not essential to be a big basketball fan." But she doesn't mind the free game tickets or discounts at the NBA store and Adidas stores, either.
Finding her place
HR wasn't part of Danielle's original plan, but she says the NBA's atmosphere makes her job exciting. "It's full of dynamic people who are passionate about what they do and love what they do," she said. "That type of environment is really infectious." Danielle gets the chance to be involved with lots of cool stuff, like All-Star weekend in Las Vegas, the draft lottery, and the internship program. "While it's not fashion or the arts, I'm still working with a very dynamic sports entertainment organization."
Big girl in the Big Apple
She was scared to move to New York City after living in the Midwest her whole life, but Danielle's year in London made the transition a lot easier. She found a place in Brooklyn because "I quickly realized that living in New York City wasn't going to be an affordable option if I wanted to have a social life. I wanted to go to Broadway shows, and world-class restaurants and museums."
Do what you love
Danielle advises students to take advantage of the programs Miami offers in Luxembourg and other study abroad opportunities. "And I know it's cliché, but doing what you love is what drives you and makes you successful."
