Alyssa Nakken’s career has been nothing short of giant. As an assistant coach for the San Francisco Giants, she has paved the way for a new generation of leaders in professional sports.


I remember coming to San Francisco and I would see the signs change the world from here, and I came from a very small town where playing Division one college softball is a very big dream.


Change the world from here means that you are able and allowed to dream outside of the box of whatever society kind of puts you in and think of ways to impact not just your own life and your own career and your own fulfillment, but the world around you, the people around you and just kind of create this legacy that might never end.


Nakken who earned a master’s degree in sports management from USF in 2015 is the first woman to coach on the field during a major league game.


The networking capabilities that come from USF, I believe, is unmatched in any other school in the country. There are fans that’ll meet in places like Miami or New York or Arizona who are saying “Oh I was cohort 13, or I was part of Cohort 14, Go Dons!”


And it’s amazing because it allows me connect with that fan in a way that goes beyond the Giants or goes beyond anything else.


For hitting it out of the park, USF honors Alyssa Nakken with the Professional Achievement Award.