As the Florida Panthers set their sights on a third championship run, Alex Marie Solomon said she knows she is lucky to have witnessed the team's historic back-to-back championships in 2024 and 2025.
A graduate of the University's online master's in sport administration program, Solomon worked with the team for two seasons, first as part of the community events staff and, most recently, as a student intern with the Panthers Foundation, the team's philanthropic arm.
"It has always been the Panthers for me, since day one," said Solomon, who attended her first playoff game when she was 11 and grew up near the Sunrise arena where the team plays.
Solomon said watching the team win the Stanley Cup was a thrill, but her favorite moments as an intern were seeing the impact her favorite team has on the local community through its foundation.
"If I had to name the best moment, it would be witnessing the partnership between the Panthers and Lighthouse of Broward come to life through a special adaptive hockey clinic," said Solomon, who helped plan and execute the clinic, designed specifically for blind or visually impaired students to experience the game.
"We helped the students learn hockey drills and play various hockey-related games," said Solomon, one of seven graduate students who interned with the team last season. "It was a truly special experience."
As part of its partnership with the University, the Panthers offer six internships a year to students in the sport administration graduate program, which is run by the School of Education and Human Development.
Since it began in 2023, the partnership has placed 20 graduate students in internships with the team, said Paul Resnick, senior lecturer and director of the sport administration internship program.
"That's the beauty of our program being based down here in South Florida and in the Miami market," he said. "Our students have access to so many opportunities that really place us ahead of other (sport administration) programs.
"Over the next six months, we will host the Orange Bowl game, a national championship football game, the Miami Open, F1 racing, the Miami Marathon, and the World Cup." he explained. "We pass these opportunities on to our students, including our online students. For those who are proactive and hungry like Alex, it really works out well."
Danielle Jacobs, who leads the Panthers Foundation, said Alex stood out as a student intern because of her strong work ethic and obvious passion for sports.
"She was involved in several of the foundation's fundraising initiatives including the 50/50 raffles and our special event fundraisers," Jacobs said. "She always came to work with a positive attitude and was always willing to jump in when needed."
Windy Dees, who leads the graduate program in sport administration, said Solomon is a perfect example of how a student can make the most of their experience in an online program at the U.
"Alex went from excelling in the classroom and mastering content online to interning in person with the NHL Champion Florida Panthers," Dees raved. "She committed herself to finding industry opportunities that would allow her to apply everything she learned online to the sports business. She is the ultimate example of how graduate online education can be immersive and effective."
Solomon described her time with the team as transformational, personally and professionally.
"It was a dream come true to start my career in sports with my favorite team," said Solomon, who hopes to return to work for the Panthers one day.
"Being able to play a role with the Panthers and witness the team make history is something I will never forget," she added. "More than that, the lessons and skills I've learned and the memories and friendships I've made along the way are what I will truly cherish forever."
