Shape the Conversation
Nick Reynolds ’15 found his passion for journalism with our student newspaper, and is now a Senior Politics Reporter at Newsweek.
Read the storyShape the ConversationThey say college is all about networking — it’s who you know, not what you know. For Peter McGowan, a business major and varsity lacrosse player, it turned out to be a mix of both.
What he knew was how to create video content that captures attention. Who he knew were a few teammates who had already taken their sport overseas. That combination ultimately led him thousands of miles from SUNY Brockport to Prague, Czech Republic, where he spent three months interning abroad.
McGowan and Brockport alumni playing lacrosse in Prague
Over the summer, McGowan traveled to Poland to complete a short-term media internship at the European Lacrosse Championships, an opportunity that came through connections with former teammates Carson Colucci ’25 and Jack Rice ’25. While there, he connected with alum Brian Witmer ’14 who founded The Good Stick Co., a European-based lacrosse equipment company.
“They’re the only lacrosse stick manufacturer in all of Europe,” McGowan explained. “Lacrosse isn’t super big in Europe, but there are still teams there, and with all the shipping costs and tariffs, it’s insanely expensive to get equipment from the U.S. shipped overs.”
According to Witmer, McGowan’s skills in content creation would help fill a gap in his company’s marketing efforts.
“When my hands are busy putting strings in a stick, that means I’m not working on the business. And I find I need help in this specific area,” Witmer said. “So Carson was like, ‘hey, we know this guy Pete, he does video marketing stuff. He can help increase your awareness online.’”
“It was really kind of a big culture shock.”
Peter Mcgowan
After the championships concluded, McGowan began preparing for a longer stay abroad. He applied for internship credit through Brockport, secured housing remotely, and booked flights to Prague, where he would spend the fall semester working for The Good Stick Co.
“It was my first time living alone,” McGowan said. “It was really kind of a big culture shock.”
From September through November, McGowan managed the company’s social media presence and created video content at tournaments and events, helping establish a more consistent online brand.
“I did a bunch of their marketing. It’s a weird market, especially with these European companies — they don’t all understand trends or how to structure their online presence,” he said. “So I did all the social media, and then also in-person stuff at tournaments and events.”
By the end of the internship, McGowan said the company had seen noticeable growth in engagement and views.
“Pete made some really, really nice content for us. I’d have him back in a heartbeat.”
Brian Witmer, ’14
“Looking at the views on the account, it went from like 3,000 in the past month [before I arrived] to about 30,000.”
“Pete made some really, really nice content for us,” Witmer said. “I’d have him back in a heartbeat.”
While McGowan doesn’t plan to pursue a long-term career in sports, he said the experience reinforced his interest in marketing and business — and showed him how far SUNY Brockport connections can reach.
“I think it’s a great experience,” he said. “Just being able to go to another country to experience the culture and see how business works there was really cool.”
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