Student Gabriella 里恰尔迪 ’20 has the chance to work with the Jets on the sidelines. During the fall 2018 semester, 里恰尔迪 was a photography intern for the team. She started out photographing high school games for the Hudson Valley Sports Report and found a real passion for the work. 从那里, 里恰尔迪, a lifelong Jets fan, started to follow Jets lead photographer and cinematographer Dan Szpakowski on Instagram. She loved his work so much that she decided to reach out. “I put myself out there and told him how much I loved the work of capturing moments. I explained that I’m a completely self-taught photographer and that I was hoping to be considered for an internship.”

To her surprise, Szpakowski wrote back. He asked for a portfolio and then scheduled a phone interview. “The interview clinched the deal,” said 里恰尔迪. “Dan is also self-taught, and we had a lot in common.”

里恰尔迪 spent the semester at Jets practices, home games, and community-sponsored events. “The team is so involved in the community and it’s great to see that and be part of it,” she said. A recent project included team members volunteering at a food bank in Harlem. Her semester was so successful that she was offered a freelance position, and now she’s paid to photograph events as needed.

为 里恰尔迪, the experience has been life-changing. “There’s no question in my mind. After graduation, I want to stick with photography and sports.”