Andrew Batista STUDENT SPOTLIGHT As a senior Sport Management major, Andrew Batista has spent his college years taking advantage of opportunities both inside and outside the classroom. Involved in numerous organizations on campus and at home, Andrew says sports have always been an important part of his life because “sports is what brings people together.” After graduation, he hopes to pursue a career in community relations. Networking One lesson Andrew says he will carry with him from KU is the importance of networking. “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” he explained, crediting his professors and classes for helping him understand the value of building connections. Andrew was also the recipient of the Kutztown University Foundation Scholarship, established through an anonymous donor for a student in the business department. “I’m so thankful to the donors,” Andrew said. “I don’t know who they are, but thank you.” KUSBI Andrew became heavily involved in hands-on learning experiences through KUSBI, where he served as project manager and participated in neuromarketing research. The research focused on tracking eye movement, emotions, facial expressions, and brain activity while participants viewed social media content to determine what captured the most attention. Through competitions and research presentations, he traveled to Indiana University of Pennsylvania and even to Greece to present research internationally. Looking back, Andrew encourages other students to get involved and take advantage of opportunities. “My freshman and some of my sophomore year I was skating by,” he said. “I didn’t expect to go to IUP or Greece until I started to get involved and take those opportunities.” 20
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