Kelley Van Ness

Co-op: I’m a communications intern for the New England Revolution. The team has the same owners as the New England Patriots, so I work at Gillette Stadium. I scan the media for news about the Revolution, write game preview stories for the Web site, interview the players, things like that. On game days, I escort the media, prepare stats for the broadcast announcer, and man the press box.

Major project: I wrote an entire media guide for the Revolution.

Memorable moment: Standing on the 50-yard line at Gillette Stadium during halftime at a Patriots game. It was amazing!

Lessons learned: Really participating in my communication class discussions gave me the confidence to participate in brainstorming sessions at my co-op. In class we learned generic skills, but the specifics of what's needed on the job I learned in my co-ops. In fact, the skills I learned in my first co-op prepared me for this one.

The co-op effect: Prior to this co-op, I had several ideas of what I wanted to do. This has shown me what sports communications is like, and it's at the top of my list. I am still open to anything. Co-op is giving me a chance to explore.

Expectations vs. reality: This absolutely exceeded my expectations 100 percent. The variety of work, the type of work, the people I work around, the atmosphere of the stadium, feeling like I am a part of something bigger than myself, all make this so much fun for me. I've learned that you have to love your job if you are going to survive in a fast-paced work environment. The love of the job makes you want to work harder and better.