As a business major at Gettysburg College, Eric Handler ’86 continually tapped into the Gettysburg Network, seeking career advice and guidance from alumni and staff as he sought to discover his own professional path. Handler, currently the vice president for communications at the YES Network, aims to pay it forward by providing the same resources and knowledge to current students, like Delaney Donohoe ’25, through mentorship and Career-Ready Experiences.
For many years, Handler has reached back out to his alma mater with information on career opportunities or to set up networking events in collaboration with the Center for Career Engagement (CCE). A summer internship in communications at the YES Network has been one of those experiences and provides students an insider’s view of the world of public relations and sports media. The YES Network is the exclusive regional TV home of the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Nets and has been the most-watched regional sports network in the country in 18 of the last 20 years.
“I’d like to think the YES Communications internship provides students with a very clear picture of what a career in communications looks like,” Handler said. “Not just in the sports media industry, but any industry. The interns not only assist me in publicizing the company and all of its assets, but they also get an extensive education about the communications function in general, regardless of the company or industry. Upon concluding their YES internship, they should have a very good idea of whether a career in communications is right for them.”
Donohoe, who grew up in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, just over an hour outside New York City, learned about the internship through Director of Career Counseling Katy Mattson and reached out to Handler through LinkedIn. Gettysburg provided that common thread for Donohoe to follow, and Handler hired her to work in the YES Network headquarters this past summer.
The role kept Donohoe on her toes in the fast-paced world of sports media. She performed research and maintained viewership databases for major sporting events and other broadcasts by the YES Network. She was meticulous with her approach, fact-checking information for press releases and biographies, while also problem solving to determine the right angle for media pitches.
As an English major with a writing concentration, Donohoe wasn’t sure how her writing skills would translate to an internship in communications, but with Handler’s guidance, she quickly adapted to her new environment by applying the lessons she’s learned at Gettysburg.
“I learned from Eric the importance of words and how strategic you have to be with word choice in a role like this,” Donohoe said. “I feel like the knowledge gained through taking courses that require a ton of writing really helped me succeed in this internship.”
“Delaney did a phenomenal job this past summer,” Handler noted. “She picked up on things very quickly, was enthusiastic, inquisitive, was willing to get out of her comfort zone, and was very eager to learn about all aspects of communications and the sports media business.”
As a student, Handler learned about sports media and communications from long-time sports information director Bob Kenworthy ’59, who worked at Gettysburg from 1959-1999. Handler learned on the job alongside Kenworthy and parlayed those experiences into a career that has taken him to ESPN, Walt Disney, United States Tennis Association, and CBS Sports. Another Gettysburg connection, Ray Hopkins ’87, helped unite Handler with the YES Network, where he has served as vice president since 2009.
As a direct result of those experiences and relationships at Gettysburg, Handler wants to make sure the students he mentors and hires for roles at the YES Network are gaining the real-world experiences that will make them ideal job applicants following graduation. Donohoe is just one of many Gettysburgians who have benefitted from our far-reaching Gettysburg Network, which will only strengthen with the expansion of Personal Advising Teams to include alumni mentors as part of the Gettysburg Approach in the coming year.
“Thanks to Eric and the YES Network, I have gained invaluable experience in an industry I want to continue in,” Donohoe said. “This summer has been amazing and I am going into my senior year feeling much more prepared in the job application process.”
Learn more about the vibrant and supportive community that makes up the Gettysburg Network.
By Corey Jewart
Photos provided by Delaney Donohoe ’25
Posted: 09/12/24