It’s no secret that Mizzou has a marvelous student recreation complex. In order to support such a comprehensive facility, MizzouRec employs approximately 450 students throughout the year. With more than 700 students attending annual recruitment sessions and around 150 new hires each year, Team Mizzou allows students to develop their leadership skills with significant job experience in the heart of campus.
The experiences Bruce gained while working at MizzouRec helped him achieve his dream job of working for the Kansas City Chiefs.
For Bruce Dougherty, who grew up in Olathe, Kansas, and graduated from MU with a degree in parks, recreation and tourism, working for MizzouRec taught him the true meaning of customer service and professionalism as a four-year student employee.
“Being a member of Team Mizzou gave me the opportunity to get involved in ways I would not have thought possible during my college years,” Dougherty said. “I was able to be a part of event planning for a major organization and build relationships with supervisors and staff.”
Dougherty started out as a member of the event staff before being promoted to a senior event specialist position his sophomore year. He also relayed suggestions and addressed concerns as a member of the Team Mizzou Advisory Council. Dougherty’s hard work and perseverance paid off in 2015 at Spring Roar, MizzouRec’s annual employee banquet. Dougherty, then a junior, was presented with a $10,000 scholarship.
“It was truly one of the biggest blessings I could have received in a time of struggle for my family,” Dougherty said. “I am proud that I was able to be a part of an organization who treats their student employees so well.”
Bruce Dougherty received a check from the Team Mizzou Scholarship Fund for his years of hard work as a student employee at MizzouRec.
After college, Dougherty worked in collegiate athletics at the University of Louisville as an academic services graduate assistant. In his role, Dougherty helped host several NCAA and ACC championship events while preparing student athletes for the professional world.
“The organization, professionalism and overall leadership gained from my time at MizzouRec made me comfortable with taking on any challenge I encountered at the University of Louisville,” Dougherty said. “I will always look back on MizzouRec as a stepping stone to my overall success as an employee within the sport industry.”
Dougherty recently graduated from the University of Louisville with a master’s degree in sport administration. He currently works for the Kansas City Chiefs as a game entertainment assistant.
“Working for the NFL team I grew up rooting for is an incredible opportunity,” Dougherty said. “My experiences at MizzouRec helped me achieve one of my dream jobs!”
