Victoria Smirnova ‘22 was hired as a Global Brand PR Intern with PUMA Germany in July 2023. In this role, Victoria worked on a variety of projects with the purpose of gaining public relations experience and being able to work on projects related to all facets of the PUMA brand. After graduating from Rice, Smirnova used her last year of NCAA eligibility to continue her tennis career as well as earn a master's degree in Sport Leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University.
“The education system in Europe is very different from the US,” Smirnova said. “When I started my internship at PUMA, I had completed a number of internships already which help me stand out compared to other interns”.
At Rice, Victoria interned with Global Golf Management, Learfield IMG College, and United States Golf Association (USGA). These internships all helped foster multiple technical as well as soft skills that she was able to take advantage of to take full advantage of the opportunities at PUMA.
“My classes at Rice also contributed a lot. I remember in my Sport Marketing class with Dr. Haptonstall, we had to prepare presentations every week which really developed my public speaking skills,” Smirnova said. “It prepared me and made me feel a lot more comfortable when presenting my projects throughout the internship.”
Highlighting PUMA's approach to their internship program, Smirnova emphasized the company's commitment to providing a diverse range of experiences for interns. She also underscored its core objective: to enhance PUMA's brand narratives by serving as the storytellers, showcasing the company's ethos and values through their work.
“My goal is to work in the Sport Industry, I’m very open to a diverse range of fields based on my experiences.” Smirnova said. “But if I can stay in the fashion within the sport industry working for PUMA, it’d really enjoy that”
Sergio Rojas, a sophomore from Houston, Texas, is double-majoring in Business with a concentration in Finance and also Sport Management with a concentration in Leadership.