The Intern Journal: Special Olympics New York

It's quite the undertaking to host the Special Olympics New York State Winter Games. Organizers are managing nearly 900 athletes across dozens of competitions at different venues. Representatives from Special Olympics NY described the scope and scale last semester as guest lecturers in Event and Facility Management, a course taught by Adam Pfleegor, Ph.D., associate professor of management. Julianna Volk '26 was in the classroom, and months later, she was part of the team.

"I was making flyers for the health screenings and organizing bins to get ready for the Winter Olympics. It's been a really amazing experience."

Volk found an internship for Special Olympics NY posted to Handshake. She applied, beat out four other finalists with her interview, and landed the position this January. She started in time to help with the Winter games, and now her attention has shifted to marketing demands for the Summer games.

"I've learned a lot through Microsoft. I'm involved with quite a bit of marketing. There's health data entry which I've never done before. But the communication skills have really been the biggest takeaway from the internship."

Volk is a management major in the sport management track with a minor in health care management. She's observed problems in the health care system from the outside, and wants to find a way to improve it from the inside.

"My mom has Crohn's disease. It's been a long fought battle, and it's something she continues to battle every day. I've watched her struggle to get answers and it can be so frustrating. She's been able to push and advocate for herself, but not everyone is able to do that."

Volk would like to work in a hospital as a health care administrator. She wants to ensure "everyone has an opportunity to be seen and helped." Her internship is reinforcement for her resume, but it's also on-the-job training in empathy, advocacy, and management.

Volk will start working on her MBA in the fall, while also helping to manage her mom's dance studio. Volk has been dancing her whole life, and earlier this month, was one of 12 members of the Siena cheer and dance teams selected to perform at the NCAA tournament. Her internship supervisor was more than happy to let her work remotely for a few days.

"I set up questions for a focus group while I was in Greenville and I did some health data entry. We were really busy, but I found time to get the work done. Dancing at the NCAA Tournament was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It sounds silly, but it was kind of like a movie. To be up 13 at the half when everyone doubted us... we had a one percent chance, and it really looked like it was going to happen for a minute."

The day before the game, Volk spoke with News10 ABC remotely from South Carolina.