WASHINGTON — When Trinity Shorter, honors business management major and economics minor, arrived at Howard University from Lawrence, Kansas, she never imagined that her future career would be built on two of her greatest passions: sports and community. But through hands-on experience managing the Howard men’s basketball team and participating in the Black Sports Business Academy, the honors business management major found her calling in sports marketing — and a blueprint for her future. While Howard was not initially on her radar for higher education, encouragement from her mother got her to apply. 

“After I applied and did some research and talked to more people, I got more and more excited about DC and being around so many Black people because that’s not really what Lawrence is like,” said Shorter.  

Living in Lawrence, Shorter was constantly surrounded by sports. The Kansas University basketball team and Kansas City Chiefs were central elements to the culture of her community. If there was a basketball game at the university, the streets would be packed for hours with friends and neighbors coming out to support. 

“From there I was always interested in sports. I was the manager of the track team in middle school and manager of the men’s basketball team throughout high school,” said Shorter. “When I came to college, I didn’t know what to do with those experiences because I knew being a manager at Howard would be very time consuming.” 

Shorter started her Howard journey as a clarinet player in the Howard University Showtime Marching Band, but quickly realized the band wasn’t the place for her. However, she found the same kind of support and community in the team-oriented structure of the School of Business freshman experience.  

Shorter’s classroom experience exposed her to careers in finance, accounting, etc., but a conversation with a classmate helped her realize that she could combine her love of sports and her business acumen. From there, she became a manager on the Name, Image, and Likeness and Branding team for the Howard men’s basketball team, a role that allowed her to work directly on initiatives that bridged athletes and the broader community. As part of her responsibilities, she helped design in-game activations — from fan competitions like karaoke to music challenges — aimed at making the game experience more engaging for the Howard community. 

“Sports just have a way of bringing people together. Even if two people have nothing else in common, they can start a conversation about a game or a team. That connection builds community — and in a world where we’re all so different, that kind of common ground is important,” said Shorter. 

To further immerse herself in the sports industry, Shorter joined the Black Sports Business Academy, a 12-week intensive program designed to prepare HBCU students for careers in the business side of sports. Through early morning motivational meetings and evening industry sessions, she built both her skills and her professional network. One of the highlights of her academy experience was traveling with her cohort to work a Carolina Panthers game, gaining real-time event management experience. Those practical opportunities, combined with the mentorship from industry veterans, helped crystallize her career goals. 

“Our cohort was the best,” Shorter said, smiling. “The Black Sports Business Academy became a community for me — just like the basketball team — and it gave me the confidence that I could really make a career in this field.” 

As she prepares to graduate, Shorter is setting her sights high. Her ultimate goal is to become a chief marketing officer for a major sports league — ideally working at the league level, rather than for a specific team — where she can lead brand strategy, community engagement, and storytelling that connects fans across the country. 

Looking back, Shorter said coming to Howard was the best decision she could have made — even though it wasn’t her plan at first. The experience, she said, pushed her beyond her comfort zone and helped her discover who she really is. 

“I am grateful for the experience because it's something really pushed me outside of my comfort zone,” said Shorter, “I feel like I was pushed into the deep end and was just forced to learn how to swim, but I'm really grateful because I don't know if another school would have done that for me.”  

She hopes her story reminds others that success doesn’t always come with awards or titles — sometimes, it’s just about showing up, staying committed, and building something meaningful.  

“There are so many people at Howard doing incredible things who don’t always get the spotlight,” she said. “I’m the first person in my family to go out of state for college and I may not have a bunch of accolades behind my name, but I came here, I worked hard, I graduated — and I’m proud of that.” 

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