InternViews: Gabriella Etienne

InternViews is a series where we ask Grady College students to describe their internship experience.

Gabriella Etienne, a public relations and political science double major, interns for the U.S. Soccer Federation in Atlanta, Georgia. Read more about her internship experience below.

Provide a brief overview of your role and its associated responsibilities.

I am the sporting communications intern at U.S. Soccer, and my project is to support all communications for our 14 Youth National Teams and nine Extended National Teams. In this role, I am responsible for producing several press releases, such as roster announcements for training camps and international tournaments, game stories, and match announcements. I also assist the U.S. Soccer communications team in all capacities, from internal communications to match reports for USWNT games to writing features on our National Training Center.

What is one piece of work you are proud of creating in this role?

I recently wrote two game stories for our Power Soccer National Team, one of our nine Extended National Teams. The team played against England at St. George’s Park in its first-ever international friendly match. I was honored to write about this historic friendly-series for the Power NT ahead of its participation in the 2025 APFC America’s Cup in November.

How has the Grady curriculum prepared you for this internship?

My time in Grady has helped me develop invaluable skills in writing, interviewing, professionalism and more that have been essential in all the work I do at U.S. Soccer. I am so grateful for this opportunity to work in service to soccer, and I deeply appreciate all my mentors and peers at Grady who have helped me to this point in my career.

What is the most valuable piece of advice you gained from your experience?

Reach out to as many people as you can! Working at U.S. Soccer has taught me a lot about the importance of connecting with people. Through coffee chats with coworkers across several departments at the Federation, I have gained so much knowledge on the behind-the scenes of running a successful sports organization.

How has this internship influenced your future career?

My summer at U.S. Soccer has reinforced my desire to work in sports. Getting a first-hand look at the work going on at the Federation makes me excited to be a part of the movement to grow soccer in this country, and I can’t wait to continue pursuing a career in this industry.

Editor: Lily Alarcon, lia52467@uga.edu