Crampton isn’t the only Golden Eagle to work for the Biloxi-based baseball team. Two additional Southern Miss alumni and two currently enrolled students work for the Biloxi Shuckers, with varying skills and academic backgrounds, allowing them to diversify strengths and work across departments. Zachary Cardenez, Account Executive and Community Engagement Committee chairman, graduated from Southern Miss with a Bachelor of Arts in communication and a minor in Spanish. Not only does Cardenez contribute to a significant portion of the organization’s ticket sales, but he also chairs the Community Engagement Committee, assisting in the advancement to further the advancement of the Biloxi Shuckers’ relationship with the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Elliot Walkington, group sales trainee for the Biloxi Shuckers, is a Southern Miss Business alumnus who graduated in 2022 with his MBA. Walkington says, “I've always wanted to work in sports, and I truly believe Southern Miss Business fully equipped me with the skills and experiences to take on this role as group sales trainee with the Biloxi Shuckers.” Two part-time Biloxi Shuckers employees balance their positions while pursuing their degrees as Southern Miss business students. Shea Sigworth, the organization’s promotions assistant, has been with the Biloxi Shuckers since 2019. She attends USM’s Gulf Park campus and is pursuing a degree in general business. Joshua Sumrall is enrolled in the Southern Miss online marketing program and is a creative services trainee with the Shuckers, creating content for the team that is utilized for social media purposes, gamedays, advertising, and more.
“After enrolling in the online Marketing program at Southern Miss, I have come to appreciate the strong sense of community that permeates the university. As an online student, establishing meaningful connections with faculty can be challenging; however, Southern Miss has defied this expectation. Over the past year, I have discovered that the institution deeply values personal interactions and support. Thanks to this exceptional environment, I credit my successful acquisition onto the Creative Services team with the Biloxi Shuckers to the invaluable teachings of my professors. Through their guidance, I have acquired essential knowledge, honed my communication abilities, and developed my professional skill set.” — Joshua Sumrall, Southern Miss Business Student
Southern Miss Business and the Biloxi Shuckers continue to hit it out of the park with their evolving partnership. Southern Miss Business and the Biloxi Shuckers have a considerable impact on one another, resulting in a strong relationship that continues to grow each year and has proven to be beneficial by not only contributing to the growth of current students, but also to the growth of current and future employees.
42 | College of Business and Economic Development