As the social responsibility manager for the Miami Heat, Erick Torres oversees part of the front-facing charitable arm of the organization. His team organizes events and supports programs that benefit the local South Florida community and works with companies to promote community-driven causes while leveraging the rapport that the Miami Heat has with its fan-base.
As a basketball fan who grew up in Miami and is now entering his ninth season working with the Miami Heat, Torres is fulfilling his dream in his role. But finding and succeeding at his dream job came from forging his own path - and a little push from the University of Miami.
“I wanted to gain professional growth, but it was also personal. I wanted to be a good example for my siblings," he said. "When I was younger, it was something I never thought I’d be able to do, but with hard work and by finding my own resources, I was able to do it.”
After gathering experience in various places, from nonprofits to magazines, and sending countless resumes to sports teams in cities where he wanted to work, Torres landed his first professional role in the sport industry with the New York Mets in New York.
When he returned to Miami, he worked in public relations for the University of Miami’s men’s basketball team before earning an opportunity to intern with the Miami Heat. Five months into his internship, he was offered a full-time job.
Getting there was one thing but growing and improving was another. The UOnline Master of Education in Sport Administration program provided enough flexibility to accommodate his late hours during the NBA season and enabled him to apply what he was learning throughout the course of the program to his job.
“A lot of the things we would write and read about were things that I was being exposed to every day in my job,” said Torres. “I was able to understand it better and develop my skills in real-time.” Torres also appreciated that the program encouraged creativity, a community among peers and professors, and students’ feedback and personal experiences.
“I’m the kind of person that improves with conversational momentum and having a chance to speak,” he shared. “When you’re relatively new to a job, it can be hard to have those opportunities. The video submissions we needed to do as part of the class gave me that opportunity to speak up. They helped sharpen and practice the skills I was learning in my textbooks and build confidence in myself and my abilities.”
Learn more about the UOnline Master of Education in Sport Administration.
