The final destination was always clear for Christian Peters but the journey to get there was paved in Williamsport.

Peters, the team administrator for Real Monarchs of the United Soccer League, the minor league for Major League Soccer, credits his experience as a student-athlete and the hands-on learning he practiced at Pennsylvania College of Technology as the reasons he was able to secure his dream job of working in professional soccer.

“If I didn’t play college soccer, I wouldn’t have been as prepared to handle the hectic schedule that we have in pro soccer,” Peters said, who graduated from Penn College in December 2020. “And having the hands-on assignments in classes really prepared me for the logistical part of my internship, which led to this job.”

As the team administrator, Peters is responsible for myriad activities.

He is in charge of securing immigration visas, arranging flights, setting up bank accounts and finding living arrangements for foreign players in the offseason.

During the season, he oversees all aspects of travel - including buses, hotels and meals for away matches - and he participates in the roster exchange and coin toss on match days.

The Germansville native matriculated to Penn College in large part because the institution had just become a member of NCAA Division III, as well as the personal recruiting provided by men’s soccer head coach Tyler Mensch.

“Coach (Mensch) is absolutely the biggest reason why I came to Penn College,” Peters said without hesitation. “He’s very personal and attempted to get to know me as a human during the recruiting process and was very polite to my entire family. He’s an overall great person, and he’s more than a coach to me.”

Peters initially enrolled at Penn College in the physician assistant major but switched to business administration: sport and event management concentration because he felt it was the best major to put him on the path to working in professional sports.

And it was.

In summer 2019, Peters interned with Reading United, a USL League Two team, which led to a game operations internship with the Philadelphia Union, of the MLS, in spring 2020.

Peters took classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays and commuted to Chester on Monday, Wednesday and Friday to finish his internship.

“It was a sacrifice I knew I had to make in order for my dream of working in pro sports to come true,” Peters said, who transitioned to an equipment internship in May 2020. “Being a student-athlete, with the hectic schedules, long road trips, and balancing classes and social life prepared me well to make that commitment.”

Peters’ sacrifice and commitment paid off in September 2020 when he flew to Salt Lake City to interview with the Monarchs and was offered the job soon after.

“Chris is the classic example of a student who sought out an internship that paved the way to a professional opportunity in his major,” said Chip D. Baumgardner, associate professor of business administration/management. “By obtaining a highly sought-after internship, Chris turned it into an incredible job that is a great fit for his career path.”

Penn College’s Bachelor’s degree in business administration offers specialization tracks in sport and event management, marketing, banking and finance, management, and health care management.

To learn more, call 570-327-4505 or visitpct.edu/management.