Student Journey Culminates in Business Experience and Sports Excellence

Zizka during her internship with the Texas Rangers.

Paige Zizka ‘24 graduated from our Sport Management program in May after a journey that included starting her own business, interning with the Texas Rangers during their World Series title run and helping lead the Texas A&M Cycling Team to a national championship.

Zizka first thought about attending business school until an experience covering her high school football team’s state playoff season led her to pivot. “I asked myself how I could replicate this because I didn’t want it to end, and decided Sport Management was the path for me,” she recalled.

While studying sport management, Zizka was a student worker with Texas A&M Athletics. She leveraged the experience she gained in facilities as well as promotions and marketing to land an internship with the Texas Rangers — working on and off the field for home games leading up to their 2023 World Series title. Zizka used her background in competitive bike track racing to join the Texas A&M Cycling Team, helping build, train and coach the team to a 2022 National Championship while winning the individual women’s title.

Zizka and the Texas A&M Cycling team celebrate their National Championship.

Zizka also benefited from our Sport Management program’s Culminating Experience, which was introduced during her freshman year. Within the experience, students close to graduation can help build a plan that is tailored to their career goals, with options including business projects, research, internships and international studies. Zizka chose the Entrepreneurial Capstone option, starting a business called HomeAway Sports to fill a void she noticed while traveling for sporting events. Partnering with local businesses, Zizka created a one-stop shop for fans to get game tickets, hotel rooms and restaurant reservations while following their favorite team on the road. “I’m really thankful for the resources that we have in front of us to spend a whole semester getting a grade for setting yourself up for your future,” she said of the experience.

Zizka is now excited to apply everything she’s learned and experienced to what comes next, adding Texas A&M is “looking for innovators and people who can change the industry. I’m very thankful to be set up to be one of those people.”

Learn more about our Culminating Experience offerings by clicking here.

For media inquiries, contact Ruben Hidalgo.