(November 3, 2020) The opportunity to work as a graduate assistant at the Basler Center for Physical Activity was a deciding factor for Austin Seay when he was looking for a graduate program in sport management.
“I had worked in campus recreation while I was an undergraduate, and when I toured the ETSU facility and met the staff, it all clicked,” Seay said. “I knew this campus was the place for me.”
Seay is currently the graduate assistant for business operations and helps oversee member services. This includes providing leadership for the student staff, selling memberships to new patrons and coordinating schedules. “We have a lot of great membership programs and I appreciate having the opportunity to meet new members who are alumni, part-time employees or are spouses or domestic partners of our faculty and staff.
“I really enjoy being a resource to our employees and promoting student development,” he said. “We want to support them as they are preparing for the career field they have chosen, so we help them with interview skills, developing a resume and even hosting professional development sessions.”
Being part of a major campus recreation operation is a continuation of the work Seay did as an undergraduate while pursuing his undergraduate degree in sport management at the University of Tennessee – Knoxville. Seay is a graduate of Powell High School and attended Pellissippi State Community College before transferring to UTK.
He is currently a graduate student in the sport management program in the Clemmer College’s Department of Sport, Exercise, Recreation and Kinesiology.
“Working in campus recreation is something that I love very much and I hope to continue my career path in that direction,” he said.
Seay adds that he enjoys gaming but is quick to point out that he does not consider himself super competitive. This semester he is taking a course in esports management and is helping his classmates to plan a Call of Duty tournament later this month.
When not working at the BCPA or attending class, Seay enjoys spending time with this wife in Knoxville where she is pursuing a Ph.D. degree in animal science at UTK.