From Around the World to Iona University, Graham Smith ’26MA Prepares for the Big Leagues in Sports Media
This summer, the sports communication major will intern at Major League Baseball
New Rochelle, N.Y. – Graham Smith ’26MA has been all over the world, from Mississippi to Rome to Colorado, but he found his fit at Iona University.
A graduate of the American Overseas School of Rome, he returned to the U.S. to earn his bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. After undergrad, he began looking for a graduate program that combined strong academics with hands-on experience in athletics.
“After college, I knew I wanted to work in athletics,” he said. “Iona stood out for its strong faculty and hands-on opportunities.”
With strong internship possibilities and his wife landing a role in the Office of Residential Life, Iona emerged as the ideal place to grow professionally while being closer to his loved ones.
This summer, Smith will take his talents to Major League Baseball’s headquarters in New York City, where he’ll intern with the league’s social media and content team.
“I enjoy sports communication because it allows me to highlight the dedication and passion behind every performance,” said Smith, who is getting his master’s in Sports Communication & Media. “Whether it’s a game-winning shot or a behind-the-scenes moment, there’s always a story that deserves to be told.”
Since joining Iona’s Athletics Communications Office as a graduate assistant in September, Smith has served as the main point of contact for several teams, including volleyball, lacrosse, track & field and acrobatics & tumbling.
“Getting to work directly with student-athletes and staff has been such a rewarding experience,” said Smith. “It’s a privilege to help tell their stories.”
Smith credits much of his success to the mentorship of faculty like professors Joe D’Aloisio '19MA and Mike Damergis, who encouraged him to pursue campus involvement and industry internships.
Outside of his graduate assistantship, Smith will play on the men’s club soccer team in the fall and looks forward to getting more involved again next season.
ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of nearly 4,000 students and an alumni base of more than 50,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona also continues to be recognized in prestigious national rankings. Most recently for 2025, Iona has been named one of the nation’s best colleges by The Princeton Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and others. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report recognized Iona as one of top for social mobility in the country, while Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) ranked an Iona degree in the top 5 percent nationally for long-term return on investment. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business, meanwhile, is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just 6 percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review recognized Iona’s on-campus MBA program as a “Best Business School for 2024.” Iona also offers a fully online MBA program for even greater flexibility. In July 2021, Iona announced the establishment of the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences, which is now principally located on Iona’s Bronxville campus in collaboration with one of the nation’s top hospitals. Connecting to its Irish heritage, Iona also opened a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland, located on the historic 400-acre Westport House Estate. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.