This feature originally appeared in the Winter edition of the Cal Sports Quarterly. The Cal Athletics flagship magazine features long-form sports journalism at its finest and provides in-depth coverage of the scholar-athlete experience in Berkeley. Printed copies are mailed four times a year to Bear Backers who give annually at the Bear Club level (currently $600 or more). For more information on how you can receive a printed version of the Cal Sports Quarterly at home, send an email to calbearbackers@berkeley.edu or call (510) 642-2427.
By Miquel Jacobs, Cal Athletic Communications
Senior Andrea Earle will graduate from Cal with more than just the experience of being an outstanding field hockey player and scholar student. This past summer, she earned a coveted internship with Nike, where she was able to learn intricate details about the business world within one of the most well-recognized brands in the world.
“We were given the chance to work with virtually every aspect of the company,” said Earle, who spent her time at the company’s headquarters in Beaverton, Ore. “It went from product design to development to finance, marketing and logistics. I really enjoyed the marketing side the most. It was definitely a place that I would love to go back to, and what I learned from being there is something that I will take with me as I begin my career with whatever I end up doing after Cal.”
The coveted position is one afforded to a select number of student-athletes across the country each year. To qualify for the internship, the student-athletes, team managers and athletic department interns had to be juniors or seniors with at least a 3.0 GPA. Candidates were selected based on their applications, résumé, project and interviews.
A two-time member of the National Field Hockey Coaches Association National Academic Squad, Earle will graduate from Cal with her degree in business administration.
While at Nike, Earle worked with various departments to gain first-hand knowledge about the business of a global brand.
“It was really an amazing experience,” Earle said. “Just being there among some of the smartest and most creative people made you want to continue to strive to excel yourself.”
Excellence is something that Earle has exhibited since she first set foot on Berkeley’s campus nearly five years ago. Despite some setbacks that included a redshirt year in 2012, Earle persevered to become one of the more decorated players in school history.
“It was a bummer to be on the sidelines — it was like I couldn’t do anything,” Earle said of the injuries and illnesses that included a hip injury, mononucleosis and strep throat all coming in quick succession back-to-back. “But in the back of my mind, I was never done.”
Since making the trek to the Bay Area from San Diego, where she attended Scripps Ranch High School, Earle helped the Bears win the NorPac Conference tournament, earned NorPac Co-Player of the Year honors and had the opportunity to play collegiately with her sister, Sydney, who was a sophomore for the Bears this past season.
On the field, Earle scored 70 points over the course of her career, putting her among Cal’s all-time top 10. She was named the 11th All-American in Golden Bear history after an amazing sophomore season that saw her score 16 goals and finish near the top of the NCAA in goals and points per game.
Given the complete extent of her experiences, once she finishes her degree requirements, Earle will entered the business world prepared to take on the next challenges in her life.
Andrea Earle is the recipient of the Henry S. Barbour Family Scholarship.
