Kean Communication Graduate Opens Doors for Women in the Sports Industry

Although she had been a lifelong football fan, it never occurred to Alexa Scicchitano that she could work for a professional team, not even while she was at Kean University pursuing her bachelor’s degree in communication.

It wasn’t until a friend mentioned having interned with the New York Jets that Scicchitano considered applying to the organization, where she has found her calling as coordinator of corporate partnerships. In the role, she not only gets to do a job she loves but also is an example of the growing participation of women in the sports industry.

It’s a trend the Jets strongly support, as evidenced by their recent creation of the New Jersey High School Girls Flag Football Pilot League and the fact that their staff includes more than 40 women in full-time roles, including executive positions.

“The Jets want to bring awareness of all the women who work within their organization, like myself,” Scicchitano said. “The message is that women can do anything, and even though sports is considered to be a predominantly male career path, there are so many women who want to participate.”

Jennifer Linn, Jets vice president of partner management and sponsorships, described Scicchitano’s role within the organization as critical.

“Alexa’s development and growth within the New York Jets has led her to managing over 20 sponsorship accounts, game-day interns, department hospitality, and digital/social media,” Linn said. “Alexa demonstrates ambition and dedication by continuously showing initiative to take on additional roles and projects to better the organization. Her abilities and success continue to grow and help further the overall success of the New York Jets.”

Scicchitano, who recently married 2018 Kean graduate and fellow communication major Chris Canas, has been employed by the Jets since she graduated from the University in 2013, working her way up to handling all marketing efforts involving the team’s corporate sponsors. That includes a variety of tasks, from generating stadium signage to coordinating participation in sweepstakes to assisting with partners’ community events.

“It’s great to be able to work with these partners to hear their initiatives and help see those come to life,” Scicchitano said.

Just as special is the time she spends with players, most often as a liaison while the athletes film TV commercials or participate in other sponsored projects. 

“We also work with a lot of Jets legends — retired players like Wesley Walker and Tony Richardson,” she said. “We make great connections with them that I have really enjoyed over the years.”

Some of Scicchitano’s proudest moments have involved planning and managing the annual Jets House event, which treats guests to autographs and meet-and-greet sessions with players.

The project allows her not only to give something back to the team’s season ticket holders and fans, but to call on some of the skills she learned at Kean, where her coursework focused on public relations. In an event-planning class with Adjunct Professor Carol Stavraka, Scicchitano remembers learning about site checks and a list of steps to follow in planning and hosting an event, information that still guides her a decade later.

She also brings to each project a mindset she developed in a persuasion class with Associate Professor Bailey Baker, who recently retired after 35 years at Kean.

“He always challenged our way of thinking and opened up our minds to think outside the box,” Scicchiatano said. “It has also helped me in a lot of my communications to be able to think of everyone else’s perspective.”

Grateful for those experiences, Scicchitano is eager to give something back by mentoring other Kean graduates and helping them break into the sports industry, which can be difficult without the assistance of someone able to provide guidance or introductions.

Scicchitano also enjoys sharing her experiences with her tight-knit extended family.

“I want them to be able to go to games and see everything that I get to see every single day,” she said. “I try to have them come to my place of work when we have get-togethers and celebrations, so they can experience everything and be part of the Jets family.”