Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences Turfgrass

Jake Kilby recently graduated with his Master of Science degree and was immediately recruited by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, which translates to "International Federation of Association Football." His new job title is stadium pitch operations supervisor at FIFA's Miami headquarters is located in Coral Gables, FL. 

 

Here Jake tells us what it's like to live his dream:

I think my favorite part about the new job is how I get to be involved with the sport that I love. I get to be a small piece of the puzzle that helps contribute to the success of the biggest sporting event in the entire world which is so crazy to think about!! The fact that this is the biggest world cup in history also makes it really cool! Definitely a lot of challenges but I am excited and eager to face all of them and make sure the world cup is a big success!

 

If I had to give any advice to undergraduate students I think I would say a couple of things:

 

1.) Believe in yourself. Before anybody else begins to believe in you or see your potential, YOU have to believe. It is very easy to succumb to negative thoughts after something like not getting the grades you studied and worked so hardly for, but you are at that university for a reason. You got accepted for a reason. It is inevitable that you may fall down during the path of your education but that is not what it's about. It's about how you get back up and continue and not let setbacks stop your pursuit of excellence. 

 

2.) Get comfortable being uncomfortable. Nothing grows in comfort/complacency. You need to push yourself out of your comfort zone and strive to achieve more every day. Take the internship that may require you to leave your family or hometown for a period of time. Take on challenges that you are not familiar with and learn from them. Grow your professional network even if you are a shy person (like me), as you never know how greatly it can help you in the future. 

 

3.) Ask for help. Growing up I severely struggled with this as I never wanted to burden others around me with my struggles/issues. Utilize the great people and resources surrounding you at MSU. You are not alone. They are there for you and want to see you succeed, but they cannot read your mind so be sure to speak up. 

 

4.) Be patient. You may see students around you that work half as hard as you do that end up getting great opportunities before you do. Your time will come. Hard work beats out natural talent every time. 

 

5.) Don't forget your 5 P's. Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.

 

Yes, I did teach for a couple of classes during my MS degree at MSU. I think that it tremendously helped me with being comfortable speaking in front of a crowd. I used to have crippling anxiety about any sort of public speaking. I would be lying if I said I don't still get anxious/nervous, but I have done it so many times now that I have proven to myself and others that I can publicly speak with the best of them. Repetition is key for something like that. Put yourself in the uncomfortable positions, whatever that may be for you. Learn and grow from these situations. You will be very happy you did. 

 

Graduate school is an extremely challenging task. Keep a calendar or schedule that helps you to remember all of the different things you have on your plate as it can be a very heavy load sometimes. But most importantly take care of yourself. You cannot perform well in school or the workplace if you are depriving yourself of food/sleep/relaxation etc.,

 

Don't forget to talk to your family every now and then. This can be a bit difficult with how busy you will be as a graduate student, but sometimes it can help you center yourself and put you back in the right mindset to keep pushing forward.