Maxwell Brodsky, Tampa Bay’s digital operations manager, is watching the game from a press box with a few coworkers, preparing content for the end of the game, which at that point they think will end in a Tampa Bay victory.
It’s the third quarter of Super Bowl LV. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are leading the Kansas City Chiefs by a score of 21–9. Maxwell Brodsky, Tampa Bay’s digital operations manager, is watching the game from a press box with a few coworkers, preparing content for the end of the game, which at that point they think will end in a Tampa Bay victory. When the Bucs tack on 10 more points, the group feels all the more confident that the Bucs will secure their second Super Bowl in franchise history and first in nearly 20 years.Brodsky, who grew up a diehard New York Giants fan, said that rooting for a team that you work for is a much different experience than simply rooting for a team. “You always root for the team that you’re on ’cause you’re part of it,” the 2013 Marist graduate said. “You’re a family. It’s part of what you do. The NFL’s not a nine-to-five. It’s constant, so it’s a really huge part of your life.”When Tampa Bay linebacker Devin White intercepted a pass with less than two minutes remaining, Brodsky knew they sealed the deal. Brodsky’s been with the Bucs longer than all but six players. They didn’t win double-digit games or make the playoffs during the first four seasons he worked for them. This past season, they cleared both hurdles…and won the Super Bowl in dominating fashion. The press box, Brodsky explained, was a workplace, so there wasn’t supposed to be any cheering. Still, when the game ended, he couldn’t hold back his emotions. “I cried like a baby the second we won,” he proudly admitted. In 2016, the Buccaneers hired Brodsky to be a digital content coordinator, a position that tasked him — among other things — with posting videos and photo galleries to the Bucs’ website. He was promoted to senior digital content coordinator two years later, where he was given more stories to post as well as some new responsibilities — overseeing the format of the team’s website and app, pitching stories to writers, and more.As a digital operations manager, Brodsky is now tasked with dealing with the bigger picture. “What I try to focus on is basically ‘How does everything look? How can fans consume content? How well is our content doing?’ ” he said. Search engine optimization for website content is a big part of his job, as is using Google analytic tools to judge how well the content is doing. Brodsky put in years of hard work for multiple NFL teams before experiencing that dream-come-true moment. He studied sports communication at Marist. “All I knew was I wanted to be in sports in some capacity. I took as many classes as I could in sports comm.” He took journalism classes, which paid off in an unexpected way. Writing stories, he said, “wasn’t one of my fortes” but the classes taught how to write and structure titles and descriptions, a big part of his job.One class that he took and greatly enjoyed was a football coaching class taught by head coach Jim Parady and defensive coordinator Scott Rumsey. Brodsky excelled and inquired with them on being further involved with the team. He was hired as a student assistant. Among the many responsibilities he had, Brodsky cut film, set up drills, worked with quarterbacks, wide receivers, and tight ends during practices, and helped coordinate special teams during games.Brodsky’s start in the sports world came as an affiliate editor for NBCOlympics.com. He wrote recaps of events, compiled analytic reports, and more for the 2014 Sochi Games. Following that, Brodsky interned with the New York Jets for six months and Green Bay Packers for a year. With the Jets, he worked with both digital media (uploading articles, photo galleries, and videos to the team website) and social media (creating posts for various platforms, mostly about the Jets cheerleading squad). He started to drift toward the digital media side in Green Bay, where he updated the team website, posted/created content, and coordinated live interviews from Lambeau Field.Moving to the location of each position, Brodsky said, is a lot to handle. He has lived in the market for each team he worked for, including three different apartments during his time with the Bucs. For the native of Connecticut, each place he has lived in, even New Jersey, the location of the Jets, is unique.Brodsky had to spend much of his time without his then-girlfriend, Rebecca, who was living in Japan and working as an English teacher. He was alone in Wisconsin and for the beginning of his time in Tampa. Rebecca returned from Japan with a cat, which necessitated a move to accommodate Casper, their new pet. They got another cat, Luna, before finding a townhouse to call home and tying the knot this past May.Wedding rings were the only rings in fashion for anyone associated with the Buccaneers when Brodsky arrived. The team hadn’t made the playoffs since 2007 and was toiling in mediocrity since 2015. The football gods finally smiled on Tampa Bay in the 2020 offseason, when Tom Brady decided to sign with the team. Brodsky had to prepare to go live at 8:00 in the morning the next day, which required him waking up four hours earlier to get everything ready.Brodsky, having experience with good and bad teams, said it’s much easier to cover a team that’s good because there is so much more to work with. “You have to be hopeful for the future, which is one of the important things, as well as focus on the specific good things,” he said. “So, if there’s a really cool highlight, roll with that. If the game’s not going so well, you have to just mention it and move on.”That probably won’t be the case as long as the Bucs keep this team intact. The young playmakers surrounding Brady and a rock-solid defense should allow Tampa Bay to compete for more titles until Brady decides to hang up his cleats for good. The excitement isn’t lost on Brodsky. “I get to listen to Tom Brady talk on a press conference for my job. It’s amazing,” he said.All of Brodsky’s work culminated in a night he’ll never forget. “The fact that we get to win it in our own home stadium was the coolest experience of my life,” Brodsky said. The road to get there has been a lifelong journey. He has always been a football fan, taking opportunities to get involved the sport and watching the NFL for as long as he can remember. Now, he’s a part of the league he grew up loving. “It’s always weird when you mix your hobby with your profession. But if you can do it and you can make it work, it’s just a great thing.”
Lauren Clarke ’13 and her family started a wish-granting charity honoring her sister.
Lauren Clarke ’13 and her family started a wish-granting charity honoring her sister. Colleen Clarke Bucket List Wishes Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit foundation granting wishes to young adults with a life-limiting physical disability or life-threatening diagnosis. Through social media, Lauren reconnected with Allie Pasquale ’13 and Victoria Weisheit ’13. CCBLWishes was able to grant Allie the wish of redesigning a spare bedroom into a healing, oasis escape lounge and art studio. Victoria’s mother, Regina, served as the interior designer for Allie’s project. During the process, another group from the Marist Class of 2013 came together to donate an adorable mini-fridge to the room. “Allie and Victoria and I are forever grateful to Marist for bringing us together,” said Lauren, “and being able to reconnect through this experience was a gift to us all.”
You’re invited to join the Marist Alumni Book Club!
You’re invited to join the Marist Alumni Book Club! In this online community, alumni can connect with each other and enjoy books related to lifelong learning, social issues, literature, psychology, and other user-submitted ideas. There is no cost to participate — you just have to get a copy of the book to enjoy. You can sign up at https://www.pbc.guru/marist or keep reading to learn more.How it works:The book club will connect through a private online forum where people can discuss the current book and network with each other. The group will spend two months on each book, so you'll have plenty of time to read.Why should you join?1. Connect with fellow alumni2. Be a part of a lifelong learning community3. Reading is good for you! What will we read?We will vote among several options each period and select a book based on reader interests. Previous books have included Educated by Tara Westover and The Power by Naomi Alderman.How do I invite a friend to the book club?You can send a friend the sign-up link: https://www.pbc.guru/marist. The more the merrier!How often will books be read, what is the time commitment, and what are the expectations?We will spend about two months on each book. We will read books highlighting lifelong learning and personal growth, novels, and other books that take an average of nine hours to read cover to cover. If you have between one and two hours a week to read, you can make it happen!Will there be any in-person meetings of the book club?No, the book club will be entirely online. You can participate anywhere you have Internet access and on days and times that are convenient for you.Is there any cost to participate?Participation is free!How do book club discussions work?The book club will be moderated by a PBC Guru moderator who manages the forum and provides additional content related to the book. The moderator will pose questions to the group, share relevant articles, and facilitate conversation about topics in the book. Members will be encouraged to post and share as well. This format allows for ongoing conversation and makes it easy for readers to connect with each other through the forum.Marist has enlisted PBC Guru to manage the club and moderate the forums. They will help make this program a great experience for all participants. Please email them at info@pbc.guru with any questions or visit their website at http://www.pbc.guru to see more of what they do.
Each year the Marist Alumni Association presents the Alumni Leadership Award to two graduating seniors at the College’s Baccalaureate. The 2021 recipients of the award are Natalie D. Ford ’21 and Zachary F. Jacobs ’21.
Each year the Marist Alumni Association presents the Alumni Leadership Award to two graduating seniors at the College’s Baccalaureate. The 2021 recipients of the award are Natalie D. Ford ’21 and Zachary F. Jacobs ’21. Ford, from Madison, MS, majored in fashion design. At Marist, she was president of the Class of 2021 and volunteered on the 2021 Commencement Committee, in Campus Ministry, at New York Fashion Week, in the Marist Community Garden, and as a tour guide with Ars et Fides.In addition, she worked as a campus tour guide and ambassador, a fashion design studio assistant, and a sales associate at Lily Rain.Jacobs, from Holliston, MA, majored in athletic training. He volunteered with Campus Ministry, the New York Marathon, the Marine Corps Marathon, the WWCGP Cycling Classic, National Athletic Trainers Association District 2 and the Student Leadership Committee and served as president of the Marian Hall Resident Student Council. His paid work experience includes clinical internships at five schools/organizations in the Hudson Valley and serving as a Marist tour guide and admission greeter as well as a Marist peer student tutor.Nominations for the award can be made by employees of Marist who are also graduates of the College. Alumni Leadership Award recipients over the past five years:2016 — Janie Pierson & Nicholas Bayer2017 — Irene Elias & Nicholas Marengo2018 — Brooke DiPalma & Alec Lee2019 — Lauren Vecchio & Matthew Marotti2020 — Jillian Kaczmarek & Spencer Hogan
