Stories of Leadership: Jess Ceresino

Jess Ceresino received her master’s degree in sports management from San Diego State University in 2011.

Inspired by her passion for sports, she founded The Sports Brat, an online news site to get girls in the game. Combining her sports knowledge and business skills, she is leading the conversation of women in sports and encouraging other women to join.

From her collegiate ambassador program, college students can share their game day culture and gain experience as a journalist. With her career managing The Sports Brat, Ceresino interviews prominent athletes, reports on major sporting events and travels the country to get the latest scoop in the sports world.

1. Tell us the highlights of your professional career.  What are your proudest achievements?

I think my proudest achievement to date has to be launching The Sports Brat. It was an idea I came up with while working on my MBA at SDSU and it took a couple of years to make it come to life.  It’s now been up for more than a year and I am very proud of what it has become.

2. What’s your favorite college memory?

We took a trip to the Dominican Republic and there was this moment where we played an impromptu baseball game with some of the neighborhood kids in a village we were visiting. It was such a special moment for us.

3. Who was your favorite professor and/or what was your favorite class?

I really enjoy marketing and branding, so my favorite class was with professor George Belch. I had to get through all those statistics and finance classes, so finally getting to do some marketing projects was awesome! I felt like those were the classes where I was able to really push myself. Not to mention, it was during that time that I came up with the idea for The Sports Brat. 

4. If you were to give current SDSU students some advice, what would you say?

Enjoy every day. Enjoy the good days and the bad days. You won’t ever get that time back so take advantage of every minute. Also, when you’re a student you can get meetings with almost anyone. So pick up the phone, send emails, and go on informational interviews where you can learn about your favorite companies. It’s a great way to start your network.

5. What are you currently reading? What’s your favorite book?

I am currently reading two books: "Girl Boss" and "The Circle."  I generally read one fiction and one non-fiction at a time so I can pick one based on my mood.  I love reading so I have a lot of favorites but I think my favorite fiction book is "The Art of Racing in the Rain."

6. What quality do you value most in friends and colleagues?

Integrity. I think the ability to stand by your word and to execute in a manner where you adhere to your moral standards is crucial. Trust is everything in relationships, both personal and professional.

7. What is your passion?

I’m a pretty passionate person, but right now, I think I’m most passionate about my business. I truly think about it all day and night. I keep a notepad in my nightstand in case I need to write down ideas. 

8. What is your motto?

Hard work pays off.  Michael Jordan once said, “I’ve always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come.” I agree 100 percent.
 
9. If you won the lottery, what would you do with your winnings?

I think I would split it up. I would save a good amount. I would put some of it into some new marketing or advertising projects for The Sports Brat.  Then I would donate the rest to my family’s non-profit, ChildHelp.