October 11, 2005
One of the
Men’s Soccer team’s leading players, forward
Sebastian Alvarado Ralph, learned to “Just Do It!” when it
concerned public relations this summer during a 10-week internship
at Nike’s Manhattan offices. Currently a first-year graduate
student in St. John’s University The Peter J.
Tobin College of Business' Master of Business Administration
program, Sebastian learned how to run special events and handle
media inquiries as part of this prominent athletic shoe maker’s
public relations team. His economics major and liberal arts degree,
which he received from St. John’s College of
Liberal Arts and Sciences in June, provided a good foundation
for a job in the business world, says Sebastian, who also prides
himself on his fluency in three languages: English, Spanish and his
native Swedish.
“Although I hadn’t taken a course in public relations before
starting the job, my experience interacting with prominent people
through membership in the President’s Society here on campus
prepared me well for the position,” says Sebastian, who transferred
to St. John’s as a junior from a university in Sweden. “My
education here has given me a lot. As an athlete, I often meet many
people in the Administration, so I’ve learned to communicate with
people in a professional way.”(As a member of the select 28-member
President’s Society, Sebastian is a student representative at many
University events hosted by Father Harrington.)
Working for Nike further enhanced those communication skills, he
explains. “I worked as part of a four-person team for a
fashion-oriented company, selecting products for photo-shoots and
participating in large-scale event planning, such as the many
events Nike held with tennis greats during the U.S. Open, and the
‘Run Hit Wonder’ 5K Race with 10,000 runners held in Central Park.
I witnessed how executives tackled problems.”
“I enjoy living in New York, which is truly a multi-cultural
city,” he adds. The son of a Finnish mother and a Chilean
father, Sebastian, with dark hair and eyes, is a tall, handsome,
atypical-looking Swede, who calls himself multi-cultural as well.
As someone who has traveled extensively, he would like to work for
an international business or organization after completing his
M.B.A. in June 2007. He says he is “very fortunate” to be attending
St. John’s on a full scholarship.
Sebastian, one of 27 members of the Men’s Soccer team, landed
the Nike job after being nominated by Eric Rienecker, Associate
Director of Academic Support for Student Athletes, and competing
with several other St. John’s students. “Sebastian was an
outstanding undergraduate honor student with a 3.6 GPA,” says
Rienecker. It’s not unusual for student athletes such as Sebastian
to spend as many as 20 hours in on-field practice time each week,
he adds, in addition to juggling games and travel with the team.
Rienecker’s office helps students manage their athletic and
academic careers while they attend St. John’s.