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Madison Storcella ’19

Madison Storcella ’19

After graduating in 2019 with a degree in public & mass communication studies and minors in marketing &management, Madison Storcella accepted a role with Legends, a company she had previously interned with, in New York City. “Currently, as a Talent Acquisition Coordinator, my role is not only telling a story to every interested candidate, but it is welcoming people into our world of sports and entertainment,” said Storcella. While at TCNJ, Storcella served as Vice President of the Society for Human Resource Management and was involved with an independent study centered around the advancement of women in their careers. She continues to follow her passion as a Group Coordinator for Legends’ first Diversity & Inclusion resource group called the LEAGUE of Legendary Women. This group focuses on organizational change and improvement; we aim to be best in class in our industry when it comes to promoting and supporting women in the workplace. To current School of Business students, Storcella says to reach out of your comfort zone and have a conversation. “Networking only advanced my experience during undergrad and continuously throughout my professional career,” said Storcella. Take the extra step, because working hard now will only advance you more in the future”

Description of current job and path that led you to it:

I am currently a Talent Acquisition Coordinator for a company called Legends.  I was first introduced to Legends as an intern at Yankee Stadium in 2017.  After my summer in the Bronx, I fell in love with the company and culture; I knew this was somewhere I hoped to be once I graduated. In my current role, I get to build relationships with candidates for various roles and use my communication skills to paint a holistic picture of what my company does.

Legends was founded in 2008 as a hospitality management company by Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys and the Steinbrenner family of the NY Yankees. At that time, both of these world-class owners were looking to revamp the fan experience in their respective venues and recognized the opportunity to form a third party food and beverage company that could do just that: Legends Hospitality. What began as managing Concessions, Premium Dining, Catering, Events & Retail operations at both AT&T Stadium and Yankee Stadium has now expanded into premium experiences company with six divisions operating worldwide, and partnerships with over 100 sports and entertainment venues, domestically and internationally.

Since that point, Legends offers an array of integrated solutions including premium food & beverage, retail merchandise, ticket sales, special events, naming rights, sponsorships, and project development to marquee clients globally across six business verticals; professional sports, collegiate athletics, entertainment, attractions, conventions, and leisure.

Some of our most recent exciting projects include building, selling, and operating the brand new SoFi Stadium, home of the Rams and Chargers; revamping collegiate fundraising programs at several noteworthy universities; and even opening groundbreaking new tourist attractions, such as One World Observatory.

I am a member of the Talent Acquisition team, which is responsible for hiring all full-time, salaried roles for all of Legends’ lines of business. Some of my initial projects included building out entry-level teams, such as Account Executives for the new Columbus Crew Stadium or San Diego State University. I enjoy being the first touch point for people interested in our organization and recruiting talent for a variety of potential opportunities. Additionally, I have had to put some of my marketing & HR courses to the test through creating inclusive job descriptions.

Outside of my day-to-day Talent Acquisition duties, I have also tapped into one of my personal interests of Diversity, Growth & Inclusion. This year, Legends launched it’s very first resource group called the LEAGUE of Legendary Women. The mission of the LEAGUE of Legendary women is to foster an inclusive environment that champions the advancement of women at Legends through shared connection, collaboration, and discussion. Through our stewardship for continued organizational change and improvement, we will be best in class in our industry when it comes to promoting and supporting women in the workplace. Women in the world of sports and entertainment have traditionally been minorities; when I had the chance to run on the leadership board, I jumped at the opportunity. I have been elected as the Group Coordinator where I hope to expand all aspects of the growth, including membership, community engagement, external partnerships, and creating a mentor program.

What led me to this role was my involvement in TCNJ’s chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management. During my undergrad, I served as the Vice President of the group where we learned the inner workings of human resources in different organizations. My favorite part of this club was the membership piece; going to different classes to present on our chapter or having multiple tabling events to attract new talent. Through these actions, I fell in love with the recruitment side of Human Resources. I would recommend all Business students to take one course in Human Resources; whether it becomes your career or not, it is fundamental to understand how companies operate.

How has COVID-19 impacted your day-to-day working experience?

During this time, my day has shifted from a daily commute to the city and office life, to work from home. I have set up  a “work from home” area and made sure to make it personal to instill a sense of normalcy. I begin my days the same as if I was in the office and continue to interact with my team through Microsoft Teams. I think by adapting to work from home life, I have learned many new skills and routines that I will continue to do once we step back into the office. I try to check in on at least one person I do not normally interact with on a day-to-day basis each week; this could be a simple “thinking of you” message, or an informative 1-1 conversation. I have learned so much from my peers throughout this time.

Words of advice to current students during these times?

My biggest piece of advice to current students during this time is to network and take a hold of every opportunity. As more and more companies have been moving remote, traditional networking environments are not happening. This means LinkedIn should be your best friend. Do your research, find a company that interests you and reach out to someone. The worst they can say is no, but the best it could do is lead to a connection for the future.

I am always one to sign up for webinars and training when I am available, because widening your scope brings more perspective. I found my passion and true skill sets by joining a club that I did not have much knowledge about. When you try new things, you can learn more about yourself for the better, or even sometimes it teaches you what you do not want to do. Both serve great purposes.

How did your TCNJ School of Business education lead you to your current role?

TCNJ has prepared me in so many different ways for my career. First off, TCNJ has introduced me to so many individuals both professionally and personally. I would recommend seeing what clubs are part of the School of Business and go to an introductory meeting. I personally enjoyed the Society for Human Resource Management and Women in Business. If I did not join our SHRM chapter, I may have never learned about Talent Acquisition and the world of HR. Going hand and hand with that, I would recommend taking some business courses outside of your normal interests. For example, I did not think sales was for me, but I took a course, Professional Selling, and came out of it in awe with how much sales affects every aspect of a job to an extent. Some of the pitch presentations and public speaking aspects have come in handy in my current role now.

In terms of leading me to my current role, I leaned on the support from my mentors and network to help guide me in the right direction. Your professors are there for you and will give you their honest advice. Overall, I would say the access to clubs, professor support, the career center, and events shaped my college experience. I was the one who signed up for a million clubs during freshman welcome week, but what I did was use it as an opportunity to meet people until I found my niche. By doing so, you too can explore your true passions.

Personal interests/fun fact:

 

  • Favorite Sports Team: New York Yankees
  • I have a younger sister who also attends TCNJ, Class of 2021
  • One of my favorite TCNJ School of Business courses was Consumer Behavior

 

  • Love any sort of mystery, whether it be TV show, book, podcast, etc.

 

Contact

School of Business

Business Building, Room 114
The College of New Jersey
P.O. Box 7718
2000 Pennington Rd.
Ewing, NJ 08628

609.771.3064
business@tcnj.edu