McCormack Undergrad Lands Internship Abroad with La Liga Team

Elena Bassin, BS 2018 is interning with the first division soccer club, Villareal of La Liga this semester. Bassin parlayed opportunities at the UMass men’s soccer office and the Winter Classic into volunteer stints at MLB All Star game in Cincinnati and the Olympics in Rio which set her up for her current placement in Spain. 

Bassin writes “Working in La Liga is the best possible study abroad experience I could’ve asked for. Working at the first division level in Spanish soccer has allowed me the opportunity to not only see the operations, but to be able to contribute. What surprised me the most about interning at Villarreal, is that I really don’t feel like an intern. I feel really respected within the club and I feel more like an entry-level employee than an intern. I think every young sport professional dreams of their first major-league internship, yet has reservations over the idea of just being a glorified barista, but in my first week with the team I was creating marketing campaigns, sponsorship packages, and strategizing and creating content for social media. I’ve brought Snapchat to the team, and have complete creative control over the account with the intent to engage more with US fans and educating our staff on how to use Snapchat. In addition I’m learning Spanish by both living and working with Spaniards and completing 6 hours of Spanish lessons a week.  Having this opportunity and being successful in this environment truly wouldn’t be possible without McCormack.”