How does a ‘yinzer’ from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania end up as a marketing intern for a board game company in San Francisco, California? Simple, I was a blonde hair freckle faced girl stuck in the east coast snow and humidity dreaming of California…just like everyone else.

The reality of my California dream came about 7 years ago as I watched my older sister pack her closet, lacrosse stick, and smile as she headed off to play collegiate lacrosse on the West Coast. As the youngest of four, I learned at an early age to follow the footsteps in front of me! Before I knew it, I was 18 years old and signing my life away to play collegiate lacrosse, for my sister’s conference rival, at St. Mary’s College of California.

And how does playing collegiate lacrosse connect to my 2,593 mile journey away from home? Skip over the hundreds of sprints, hours of practice, and preparing pregame speeches and you have a girl studying for a sports management and communications degree. Graduation was approaching and so was the dreaded post collegiate job search. Saint Mary’s College presented me with many opportunities for growth, but connecting with Blue Orange Games after graduation made that 18 year old’s decision to move to California worth it.

The strong Alumni and networking community of St. Mary’s led me to be able to connect with Martin Marechal, Blue Orange Games VP of Sales & Marketing and former student-athlete of St. Mary’s College of California. From there, the interview process for a marketing internship with Blue Orange began and before I knew it the job search was over!  I packed my little Honda to the brim and head across country with my Dad.

That brings us to my current destination, Blue Orange Games: a fun and upbeat company that mixes education with fun and creates awesome board games. Board games have always been something that my family used to bring us together, so being able to bring other families the same joy was important to me. But honestly, who wouldn’t love to play board games for a living?! From attending events, to writing text for a game’s box, to managing the company’s Instagram account, I am lucky enough to be working in an environment where I can use my personality, creativity, and writing skills everyday.