Before the sun rises and most of us start our day, Brooke DeBerdine is already one step ahead. She wakes up in Pennsylvania, grabs her shoes and training equipment and hits the track. Next is the gym where completes her weight training circuit. With the sun now shining and the rest of us finally getting up after hitting snooze for the third time, Brooke then opens her laptop.
It’s a normal day for Brooke this summer. See Brooke is not only a Sam’s Club intern but she’s the newest member of the United States Field Hockey National Team and she says, she wouldn’t have it any other way.
My dream has always been to play for the National Field Hockey Team someday, but I also wanted to continue to better my future professional career and go after an internship at Sam’s Club.
Although the balance of an internship and earning a spot on the elite squad could be daunting to most people, let alone 22-year-olds, Brooke has hit the ground running in more ways than one.
“My project this summer at Sam’s Club is developing a plan for sustainability, with the goal of a zero-emission company in mind,” says Brooke. “You don’t see a lot of internships that have an ability to create a long-lasting impact, and that to me is exciting.”
With the help of a supportive team, on and off the field, Brooke says she feels like she can truly accomplish anything she sets her mind to.
“I see so much overlap with teamwork and being able to communicate effectively at Sam’s Club and on a field hockey team, even though they are completely different,” Brooke laughs. “They both meet the same goals that I have for myself which is to have an impact constantly and be a leader.”
Brooke is a senior in college at Maryland University. At Maryland, she studies supply chain management and is on the collegiate field hockey team. She was voted senior captain by her teammates last fall before the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the team’s season. She now has the opportunity, due to eligibility at the NCAA being extended, to play one final season at Maryland and plans to use her skills she earned this summer to work towards a National Championship and graduation.
To get a prestigious internship, you have to prepare months in advance with your studies and activities you are involved in. Same with earning a spot on the National Team or going to a tournament for field hockey. You can’t just show up without practice. I want to always be aware of what I am doing and involved in, and how I am bettering myself.
Brooke plans to graduate from Maryland in December, with a Supply Chain Management Degree, and move to Charlotte, North Carolina where she will continue to train with the U.S. Field Hockey National Team. She says her ultimate goal is to represent the United States at the 2024 Olympics on the National Field Hockey Team and believes her hard work and determination will get herself and team there very soon.
“Representing the United States is such an honor that I have been dreaming about forever,” says Brooke. “This summer at Sam’s Club and earning a spot on the national team proves to me that constantly staying on top of my game on the field and in the classroom was worth it and I am so excited for my future.”
