UC Online Ambassador Spotlight: Alaina Rogacki, Master of Science in Sport Administration

Alaina Rogacki’s history with UC began over a decade ago, when she visited a friend on campus as a freshman. Although she was attending a different university, UC immediately felt like home. She transferred to UC and graduated with her education degree in 2014.

That’s not the end of the story. Now Alaina is a graduate student at UC. The difference? She’s pursuing her master's degree 100% online.

We spoke with Alaina about online learning, her career trajectory, and her love for all things UC.

From there, Alaina’s career has followed a winding path: after teaching for several years post-grad, she transitioned into the mortgage industry as a loan processor. Six years in software engineering followed. 

Then, during a transitional period, Alaina moved to Ann Arbor with her fiancé and chose to reevaluate her career goals. It was time to decide what she found truly fulfilling.  

“I took stock of all the things that I love and that I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” Alaina said. “I made a super, super long list."

She noticed one common thread that kept coming up: her love of sports. As an undergraduate, she was part of UC’s rowing club and still rows currently. She’s also an avid football fan. Before this, Alaina had never considered a career in sports—let alone an online program for sport professionals, which she didn’t even know existed. She didn’t know how to turn her passion into an actionable goal.  

What followed was either a coincidence or a moment of serendipity. 

“I kid you not, in the next day or so, I actually saw an Instagram ad for the program,” Alaina said, “and then I applied that night. So now I’m here.”  

“Here” is UC’s online Master of Science in Sport Administration program. Although Alaina described applying as an “impulsive decision,” in hindsight, it felt right to continue her education at UC. 

“I knew if I was going to go back to school, and if there was a way for me to still be in Cincinnati without physically being in the city,” Alaina said, “it was a no brainer.” 

Finding community as an online learner can be challenging, especially when you don’t live anywhere near campus. Alaina admits that there was a learning curve when she started her master’s program.

“I actually felt very lonely at first,” she said, “because there isn't as easy of connections that you can make. You have the same classes as other people, but you're not physically with them.” 

She found that an intentional approach worked best, both in her actual learning and in her overall online experience. She reached out to all of her professors early on and asked to meet with them virtually.

While it was intimidating at first, ultimately “it goes two ways.” Alaina’s professors were welcoming and eager to connect with her in return, making it easier to build relationships. One of those connections led to Alaina getting involved in research for the first time with UC Professor Dr. Natalie Bunch. 

For this project, which centered on attitudes about gambling within the NCAA, Alaina helped code data and participated in the overall research process. This experience played a major role in Alaina's plans for the future. 

“Reaching out to my professors, and learning how varied the industry can be, has changed my life,” Alaina said. “When I started the program, I wanted to be involved in my local high school athletic department. And now I want to continue on to get my PhD and teach. That's directly from meeting with my professors and learning about their stories, their paths, and what else is out there. And I would never have known if I hadn’t sent them that email.” 

Just as connecting with her professors required intentionality, Alaina had to take the same approach to her routine. This meant setting a consistent schedule to balance school and work. At the same time, she also learned to be flexible and change her routine when necessary.

When she started the graduate program, Alaina was working in retail and had a constantly shifting schedule. She reflected, “I had to learn how to be so flexible in terms of—okay, maybe I would like to be able to do my homework at this time every single day, but that's just not possible because life doesn't always work that way.” 

Fortunately, since Alaina’s assignments are generally due every Sunday, she’s able to fit studying into her schedule when it’s convenient for her—without falling behind or turning things in late.

“It's been so good, just for my own personal development, too,” she said. “Because everybody procrastinates in some way. Everybody has trouble focusing in some way. And so, being in this program has been good for me professionally but also to practice those skills as an adult. I feel very lucky for sure.” 

More recently, Alaina has balanced being a full-time student with a full-time internship in Michigan. While this is allowing her to complete her master’s in just one year, it hasn’t been without its difficult moments. Sometimes, she has questioned why she chose such an ambitious timeline.

“I think flexibility is just the word that keeps coming to mind,” she said. "I've had to make sacrifices, but I know it's worth it.” 

Alaina’s career trajectory may seem random from the outside, but she has noticed the throughline taking her from one job to the next. From the patience she learned in education to the critical thinking she needed as a software engineer—she’s carried skills from every past experience into sport administration.

“Transferable skills are everything,” she said. “It’s not an obvious jump, but the things I've learned from every single job I've ever had has led me, I think, to be more successful.” 

Now that she’s in her final semester, what’s next on the horizon?

In the short term, she aims to graduate with a 4.0 GPA—a goal she’s “currently on track” to meet. At the same time, she is interning for the University of Michigan’s Athletic Academic Success Program.  

Through the internship, she’s been exposed to academic advising, tutoring, and mentoring for over 800 collegiate athletes. On a day-to-day basis, she mentors several students, helping them develop time management skills and navigate demanding schedules.

“The student athlete experience is different,” she explained. “And sometimes you do have to be more intentional about how you plan your time—because you’re so busy with practice and all the other things that non-student athletes don't have to deal with.” 

The program has helped solidify her next steps career-wise. Her immediate goal is continuing onto her PhD, but she also can see herself working with student athletes. Additionally, her UC coursework often relates directly to her internship.

“I'm able to learn something and then immediately put it into action, just based on the opportunities that I have to connect with student athletes,” she said. “I'm able to read my textbook and then see it play out in front of me that evening.” 

Although in-person and online college are very different, what’s been consistent for Alaina is her Bearcat pride. That enthusiasm for sharing her UC story also motivated her to become a UC Online Ambassador.

“I have so much love for the school based on my experience,” Alaina said. “It's been the best decision I've ever made—and I was a tour guide in undergrad!” Even though she’s in Michigan, she’s very clear that Cincinnati will “always be home.” 

She hopes that other people find their home in Cincinnati, too—whether that’s on campus or online. If she can “share that with one person,” then she’s happy.

Like Alaina, are you wanting to continue your education without moving across the country? If so, UC’s flexible online programs may be the right choice for you. With over 140 online associates, bachelor’s, and master’s degree programs, UC makes it possible to advance in your career no matter where you are. 

Your Enrollment Services Advisor can offer personalized guidance and help you consider your next steps. Connect with UC today and see what your options are.

Discover how you can share your experience, answer questions, and help future Bearcats see what’s possible.  For more information, visit the UC Online Ambassador Program webpage.