Written by Alivia Dieterlen, CSC Assistant Director of Communications and Creative Content
Kelsey Segren has this month’s CSC Women To Watch spotlight. She joined Bushnell, a NAIA institution in Eugene, Oregon, in July of 2021. Segren graduated from NCAA Division III Whitworth University (Spokane, Washington) with a B.A. in mathematical economics and went on to complete a M.A. in administrative and nonprofit leadership.
During her time as a student at Whitworth, she served for three years as a sports information assistant and two years as a graduate assistant. She was also a student researcher for the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, the statistics manager at the WIAA Hardwood Classic and an artwork previewer for Premier Agendas.
You majored in mathematical economics and have a M.A. in administrative and nonprofit leadership. When did you realize that working in college athletics was a career you wanted to pursue?
KS: I decided a couple weeks before graduation that pursuing a career in college athletics was the direction I wanted to go. I wanted to be a baseball statistician for most of my life but quickly realized computer science was not a good fit for me, so I pivoted. I tailored my degree to a marketing focus during my last year in school and went on to continue working in Whitworth’s sports information department during grad school.
I always get asked how having a degree in math helps in sports and it’s a pretty simple answer. It taught me how to think analytically, navigate different ways of solving a single problem, and to be detail oriented. You are juggling a lot of tasks at once in college athletics and you have to know how to keep organized and stay focused when the chaos arises.
Coming from Washington, what led you to your current position at Bushnell?
KS: I think I stumbled into my position at Bushnell a little bit. I finished grad school in 2021 which was notably a difficult time to get a job. During the time I was supposed to be getting job experience, the world shut down and there were no sports happening. No matter where I went, I felt like people had to “take a chance” on me and that’s a demotivating feeling. My boss at Whitworth sent me a job posting for a position at Bushnell that opened because they were adding two sports. I wasn’t in the position to be picky, but I wasn’t very interested in working at a school without baseball. Fortunately, that was one of the sports being added and that new program got me here to Eugene.
What do you love the most about your job?
KS: I love being at the games and being able to witness some of the biggest moments in a student’s athletic career. It’s so powerful when they succeed through such an immense amount of pressure and so heartbreaking when they fall short. I am fortunate that I don’t have to be at the stats table all the time. I can be on the court, on the field, on the track, taking photos and videos. I get to capture the celebrations, and the student-athletes get to continue reliving their best moments.
…love least about your job?
KS: I sleep a lot, so late nights are not really my thing. We also don’t have press boxes at most of our outdoor facilities, so dealing with the weather is not fun. Fortunately, Eugene does not get as cold as most places. It just rains a lot.
For those athletic communicators working on a small staff, what advice can you give them about prioritization and work-life integration?
KS: I haven’t received the greatest advice about work-life integration because I see so many people working 24/7 and that’s not the lifestyle I want to live. I would have switched career paths by now if my job was consuming my life. The best advice I can give is to prioritize your friends and your family because people are forever.
If you have too much on your plate, ask for help, otherwise you will let people down. Saying no is better than not finishing the job. Other people are completely capable of helping you if you teach them how.
What’s your best advice to other young female professionals who are beginning their careers in athletic communications?
KS: My best advice to young women in athletic communications is to understand that you don’t have something extra to prove as a woman in sports. You belong and shouldn’t have to fight extra for your position solely based on your gender. If you believe in yourself and others don’t, then remove yourself from that environment. There are so many schools out there that will believe in you. Continue to invest in and mentor young women because there needs to be more of us out there.
Rapid fire with Kelsey
If you could have a superpower, what would it be? Teleportation
Your walk-up song: Walk – Kwabs
Favorite sport to watch: Baseball
Finish the phrase “the way to my heart is…” Coffee
What is something most people don’t know about you? I am a twin.
Favorite hobbies outside of work: Reading (fantasy), TFT, playing Catan, listening to music