Ayanna Crenshaw ’23 spends summer internship with Milwaukee Bucks

Ayanna Crenshaw ’23, a Racine native who is pursuing a major in marketing and a minor in public relations, navigated her way to a sales internship with the Milwaukee Bucks this summer.

During a Business and Professional Coalition event at the College, Ayanna connected directly with guest speaker Raven Jemison, executive vice president of business operations for the Milwaukee Bucks. Ms. Jemison then provided Ayanna with the appropriate contacts to inquire about a summer sales internship with the NBA organization.

“My mentor from Pi Sigma Epsilon, Zachary Shawhan ’22, actually facilitated the connection between Ms. Jemison and myself,” says Ayanna. “After speaking with Ms. Jemison, she gave me advice on how to best connect with the Bucks’ sales department and encouraged me to take the next steps in my own hands.”

After a number of conversations with sales representatives for the Bucks that primarily took place over LinkedIn, Ayanna landed an interview and, subsequently, was hired as a junior sales intern for summer 2022. During the academic year, Ayanna will continue to engage with the Bucks in shadowing opportunities, including game-day events.

“As a junior sales intern, I’ve been trained on everything that a full-time inside sales representative does on a day-to-day basis,” says Ayanna. “I’ve been assigned prospect pools to make my own direct sales calls, conduct in-arena tours, and execute sales events.”

With skills developed through her sales and marketing courses, mentorships with Carthage alumni through Pi Sigma Epsilon, The Aspire Center, and her own personal drive and top-notch communication skills, Ayanna was prepared to be a standout candidate for the Bucks.

“One of my biggest takeaways from my sales and marketing courses at Carthage was figuring out what motivates people and translating those motivations to real-world scenarios,” says Ayanna.

Ayanna’s relationship with the College began early in life as she participated in a YMCA summer program, the Young Leaders Academy, on campus during her elementary, middle, and high school years. “I’ve always had strong ties with Carthage,” says Ayanna.

Upon returning to the campus for a formal tour, Ayanna grew confident it was the place for her, as both admissions and athletics representatives made her feel at home. “I had a good feeling that I could thrive within both academics and athletics here.”

And Ayanna excelled. As a member of the track and field team, she’s a student-athlete, and she participates in a variety of student organizations, such as the Carthage Student Government, Pi Sigma Epsilon, Black Student Union, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, to name a few.

“Ayanna has become a pivotal part of campus life,” says her mentor, Mr. Shawhan, “and I know Carthage has become a better place with her here.”