Kendall Butler '16
- Senior from O’Fallon, Illinois
- Marketing major with a minor in Spanish
- Bearcat women’s golf team
- Internship with Detroit Pistons
- Internship with the Hills Golf Club
Kendall Butler '16 never expected to spend her summer 600 miles from home until she landed an internship
opportunity of a lifetime with the Detroit Pistons. The senior marketing major and Bearcat golfer packed her bags planning for an exciting experience. Little did she know that the
next three months would play a major role in shaping her future career goals as well.
As an accomplished student athlete on both the Dean’s List and President’s List, Kendall
knew from her McKendree experience that success first starts with developing the confidence
to open yourself up to new learning experiences.
“One of my friends was doing an internship with the MLB in New York, and she gave
me a few of her contacts, one of them being the vice president of team ticket sales
for the NBA,” said Kendall.
“I was nervous, but I reached out to him, and he invited me to a Sales Conference
in Cleveland, where over 30 teams from the MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL were in attendance.”
After 10 interviews with 10 different teams, Kendall was selected for a summer internship
with the Detroit Pistons. “I didn’t know anyone in the area other than the family
friends I stayed with, and I hadn’t even been to Michigan until I drove there to start
my internship.”
At her new workplace in the Pistons’ home arena, Kendall was responsible for promoting
the purchase of season memberships to prospective fans, but to do that, she knew she
had to persuade them on a personal level.
“My job was to get the fans excited about the upcoming season and sell them on becoming
part of the Pistons family. On average, I made about 80 calls a day to initiate the
sale of season memberships while also conducting face-to-face meetings and giving
tours of the arena. My favorite part was interacting with fans and knowing that I
played a role in their memorable experience with the Pistons.”
When Kendall came home for the fall semester, she hit the ground running with another
internship at The Hills Golf Club. Working directly with the McKendree marketing staff,
Kendall plays a pivotal role in redesigning webpages for the golf course.
After graduation, Kendall plans to continue her work in sales with an emphasis in
sports. “I never saw myself as a sales person, but after my internship experiences,
I fell in love with it and definitely see myself excelling at it.”
For Kendall, her time at McKendree has taught her to “step out of your comfort zone
and be confident in your abilities. You’ll never know what you’ll enjoy until you
experience it for yourself.”
Learn more about McKendree University and the Marketing program.
Make It McKendree
