Senior Media and Communication major from Delran, N.J., Kaitlyn Stewart joined the control room staff of the Philadelphia Phillies as an intern starting with March 28’s home opener against the Atlanta Braves. 

Though she’s been a Phillies and baseball fan for her whole life, this was her first time experiencing an opening day crowd at Citizens Bank Park.

“Working opening day for a sold-out crowd against arguably our biggest rivals was an incredible experience,” said Stewart. “Even though the outcome of the game wasn’t what everyone hoped for, it was a great first day with the PhanaVision team and a cool experience doing the job in a full ballpark. The energy was amazing and makes me really excited about the rest of the season to come.”

She arrives at the ballpark four hours before each game to have time to go over the entire video script for the scoreboard presentation, from the pregame commercials to the end of the game, distribute that script to the PhanaVision staff, and update the system to ensure that all of the video clips and graphics follow the script. This can include updating and uploading opposing lineups, headshots, and statistics, updating sponsored features and social media tagboard features, and running player videos during their walk-ups. During the game, Stewart prepares the social media feature segment and is on standby to help with anything that arises.

“Before working athletic events with Arcadia’s athletic communications office, it never occurred to me the kinds of careers I could pursue in the sports industry,” she added. “I never realized how many different roles go into hosting a successful athletic event, let alone how much I would enjoy trying out each one over the course of my three years at Arcadia. What started as a way to make a little money turned into the catalyst for where I am now.”

At Arcadia, Stewart is a member of the Honors Program and Arcadia’s chapter of The Hidden Opponent (THO). She also works as the manager for the field hockey team and as a student worker in the Athletic Communications Office. Upon graduating, she hopes to continue pursuing a career in professional sports media, specifically something that allows her to work with photography or content creation.

“I grew up going to Phillies games at Citizens Bank Park with my family each season, and it is an indescribable feeling to go to the same ballpark and say I’m ‘heading into the office,’” Steward explained. “I’m so lucky to be working for a team and franchise that I grew up loving with people who are just as passionate about the team and sport as I am.”