While growing up in Dunwoody, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta, Sophia Haslach dreamed of a career in sports, especially one involving the Atlanta Hawks. At just 22 years old, after earning a B.B.A. in marketing from Georgia State’s Robinson College of Business, she has turned what felt like a distant ambition into a full-time position as a membership associate for her favorite basketball team.
“I grew up going to Hawks games with my family,” Haslach said. “I loved the atmosphere and wanted to be part of something like that.”
Haslach played basketball in first through eighth grades and picked it up again in an intramural league through Georgia State sorority Phi Mu. During her junior year, she was selected as a Hawks college ambassador, a paid role for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 NBA seasons.
“One of my key responsibilities was promoting the Hawks Pass, a program that offers students discounted last-minute tickets,” she said. “I also focused on expanding the Hawks' presence on campus and engaging with student organizations like sororities and fraternities.”
For two years, Haslach and Phi Mu partnered with the Hawks to host a 4x4 bracket tournament at Georgia State's Student Recreation Center. Winning team members scored Hawks tickets, runners-up landed Hawks t-shirts, and all participants received Hawks-branded swag. The event also served a philanthropic purpose, with funds raised for the Children's Miracle Network.
Haslach recently transitioned from a college ambassador to a full-time membership associate with the Hawks. Her focus areas include generating leads for season memberships and working with potential clients for ticket packages and group game outings.
Haslach credits Robinson with preparing her for her post-college career, particularly perfecting her resume and growing confident with public speaking. She is especially proud of a project she completed during her Panthers Accelerated Career Experience (PACE) course. Through PACE, student teams act as consultants for real companies looking to solve a problem. Haslach and her peers collaborated with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to address long, slow-moving lines of cars in the pick-up lanes. Their key recommendation was to rename the “Cell Phone Lot,” to “Park & Wait,” making the purpose of the lot clearer: People picking up travelers can park there until receiving a call or text from loved ones exiting baggage claim, prompting them to head to the pick-up lane and ultimately decreasing curbside congestion.
“It felt like such an important responsibility to contribute to something so visible and impactful,” Haslach said. “The airport implemented our suggestion for renaming the lot in the beginning of June.”
In early May, Haslach also spent a weekend working the Miami Grand Prix as a luxury guest experience representative at the Paddock Club.
“I learned a lot about being service-oriented and maintaining a professional manner,” Haslach said.
Haslach already has made an impact in Atlanta by supporting the city’s basketball team and improving traffic flow at the world’s busiest airport. She has the prowess of a Panther and the vision of a Hawk.