Jacob Meiners (pronouns: he/him) is a junior at Augsburg, double majoring in Data Science and Mathematics. He’ll be graduating in the spring of 2024 and has recently been hired on by Major League Baseball (MLB) as a Junior BOSS Operator for the Saint Paul Saints.
Jacob says, “This position sort of fell into my lap after about a year of continuous interviews for various positions in professional sports. From late September into December of this past year, I participated in multiple rounds of interviews for a Business Intelligence and Analytics Internship with the Minnesota Twins, ultimately not getting the position after making it to the final round of interviews. In February and March of this year, I also participated in multiple rounds of interviews with Minnesota United FC for a Business Intelligence Internship, ultimately not getting the position again after making it into the final five candidates.
“I have spent the last few years working hard in school to build my skills for these positions and networking (mainly via LinkedIn) with many people who currently work in professional sports. Tom Colosimo (through the Strommen Center) and multiple of my professors at Augsburg helped me immensely in my preparation for these rounds of interviews and helped me network with potential employers. I reached out to a few employees of MLB’s Data Operations department a few months ago to introduce myself and my available skills. At the time, most of the available positions were filled with MLB’s Data Operations, but just a few weeks ago, one of those employees reached out to me and asked if I would like to work in St. Paul for the Saints because someone dropped out of the job.
“So, after multiple failed attempts to get my foot in the door, this job fell into my lap and I could not be more excited. Sometimes it just takes reaching out to the right people and introducing yourself, you never know what could eventually come across your plate. I would not have been able to make this happen without the help of the Strommen Center’s resources and my professors’ knowledge of the field I have been looking to go into.”
Jacob’s story is one of persistence, networking, and an opportunity coming at just the right time. Long months of hard work have paid off and we are honored to celebrate him and share his journey. Congrats, Jacob, and all of us here in the Strommen Center are excited to see what comes next for you with MLB and the Saints!