BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- During the Fall 2024-25 semester we will be highlighting student-athletes and their work outside the playing arena. Our first feature is Ashley Rodrigues.

Senior track and field athlete Ashley Rodrigues, spent her summer interning for her local soccer club. Her major, Communications and Media studies with a focus for writing for public audiences and her interest in sports, pushed her to work as the communications manager and broadcast associate for Morris Elite Soccer Club.

She spent a lot of her time preparing for games such as writing the starting line up for the Wednesday and Saturday games. Rodrigues shared that her work with the team also consisted of working their social media pages, doing pregame and postgame interviews, and preparing for the games the day before.

The Moravian Student-Athlete gained mountains of experience under Scott Maloney and Vincenzo Bernardo. 

"I learned that if I'm given a task and I finish it quickly, I should go up and ask for more," Rodrigues said.

Rodrigues is certainly asking for more by applying to the NCAA Postgraduate Internship Program in Indianapolis, Indiana where she would potentially be working with upwards of 30 other interns in the NCAA. Director of Athletic Communications Mark Fleming and Associate Athletic Director Brynn McNamara gave her a lot of support in her process for applying for the opportunity. 

She shared that she has been rejected by many internships, but that doesn't stop her. Assistant Director of Athletic Communications Christine Fox helped her look for other internships as she was pushing through rejection. 

"Even if you get rejected, there's going to be another opportunity that's coming. Don't give up," Rodrigues said.

As her senior year begins she hopes to gain more experience in Moravian Athletics and potentially absorb more experience in Indiana after she graduates. 

Story by Caillie Fish '25