Jordan Ryan-Allen, Sports Management student

To Jordan Ryan-Allen, sport management student at NCC's Monroe campus, the glass is always half-full. Though he had initially used his Caribbean cultural background to get started in athletics, Ryan-Allen has embraced his program's curriculum and now understands how to apply what he's learning to a potential career.

"Since coming here [to NCC], I've looked at sports from a whole different perspective, and put it on a whole other level," says Ryan-Allen. "I love my professors and my classmates. I look at the program now as a career and not just a hobby."

The East Stroudsburg North graduate excelled in high school sports, and made both the football all-star team and the state team for track. And while he admits that NCC was the best logistical college choice for him, he also realizes that the program here has provided him with a solid foundation for moving forward to Penn State University (in January 2012) and pursuing a bachelor's degree.

"I took my love for sports, and I'm basically trying to make a career out of it. Sport management gives me the option to take what I like about sports and potentially go in many different directions," Ryan-Allen says. "I've thought about becoming an agent or a coach, but right now I'm learning how the body works, and it's made me think about becoming a personal trainer or helping people to get in shape. I think that personal health and obesity are two important issues."

Ryan-Allen credits his upbringing as instrumental in forming his broader educational outlook. He and his siblings were raised by his mother, who instilled strong values in them and made them believe that they can accomplish the goals that they reach for if they are willing to work hard. Ryan-Allen spends a lot of time with his youngest brother, who he says is also actively involved in sports. He hopes that by continuing to pursue a career in Sport Management, his family will one day be proud at where he ends up on the career ladder.

"I can see myself in a big city, such as New York or Washington, D.C., where I can get a lot more hands-on experience," he says. "I'm going to see what the field offers me, and explore my options."