From RES to the Bears Sidelines: Olivia Echeverria ’24 Builds a Future in Sports Business

For Olivia Echeverria ’24, a career in business began to take shape in a classroom at Resurrection College Prep. Just two years after graduating from RES, that interest has already taken her from Purdue University to the world of professional sports, where she spent this summer working with the Chicago Bears during Training Camp.

Olivia traces her interest in finance and business back to her junior year at Resurrection, when she enrolled in Introduction to Business. A class project challenged students to identify areas of the school they could improve and develop business proposals for their ideas. The experience introduced Olivia to the fundamentals of business and helped her recognize a field she wanted to explore further. Although she knew business interested her, she wasn't yet sure where within the industry she belonged.

Olivia went on to Purdue University and joined their Exploratory Studies program where during her freshman year, she combined career exploration with business coursework, eventually finding her direction in Finance. Her participation in Purdue's Emerging Leaders Scholars program also helped turn a broad interest into more defined career goals. Through professional development opportunities, career fairs and guest speakers, Olivia has gained early exposure to professionals and potential career paths.

At the same time, another lifelong passion was helping shape her future: sports.

Olivia played lacrosse throughout all four years at RES before transitioning to club lacrosse at Purdue. While deciding not to pursue varsity athletics in college was difficult, she knew she wanted sports to remain part of her life. That desire led her to an opportunity with Purdue Athletics in Event Management.

Though initially unsure about applying, encouragement from friends convinced her to take the chance. She quickly discovered that event management was a natural fit.

In fact, the work reminded Olivia of an experience she had already gained at Resurrection: helping Coach Steve organize the annual Lacrosse Out Cancer fundraising games. At Purdue, she was using many of those same skills — just on a much larger stage.

That experience eventually helped lead Olivia to an exciting opportunity this summer working with the Chicago Bears during Training Camp. Over five weeks, Olivia saw firsthand what it takes to execute an event serving thousands of guests each day. She learned that even seemingly small details can have a major impact on the experiences of fans, staff, players and coaches.

"Making sure that everything is done correctly and to the highest standard is what creates such amazing and memorable experiences," Olivia said.

The experience also taught her the importance of adaptability. With less-than-ideal weather affecting several days of Training Camp, Olivia and the operations team had to adjust quickly while maintaining both team operations and the fan experience. Whether that meant helping ensure the Bears could utilize their indoor practice facility or accommodating fans who still made their way to camp, Olivia learned how important it is to remain composed and flexible in a fast-moving environment.

Those lessons will now follow her back to Purdue Athletics — and into whatever comes next.

Before Training Camp, she envisioned herself primarily pursuing event management and operations. Working within an NFL organization exposed her to the enormous range of careers available in professional sports. Now, she is eager to explore areas including sponsorships, partnership marketing, business analytics and financial analysis alongside event operations.

One thing, however, has become clear: Olivia wants her future to include high-level athletics.

"I feel my best in dynamic, fast-paced environments," she said. "I want a career where I can help craft exceptional fan experiences and share my passion for sports every day."

As she continues building that career, Olivia credits Resurrection with giving her something just as important as her first introduction to business: confidence. Being part of a school community that encouraged students to step forward, ask questions and take initiative prepared her to enter spaces in athletics and finance that are often male-dominated. The willingness to raise her hand and embrace new responsibilities has remained with her at Purdue and with the Bears.

It's also the lesson she hopes current Bandits will carry with them.

"Growth can be uncomfortable, but it is crucial to lean into that discomfort and get involved early," Olivia said. "You should never be afraid to start from the ground up."

Her advice is simple: show enthusiasm, work hard and say yes to opportunities to learn.

"Raise your hand for every opportunity and constantly be pushing yourself to grow and learn," she said. "The skills you're building at Res right now will take you much further than you think."

For Olivia, those skills have already taken her from the RES classroom and lacrosse field to Purdue Athletics and Chicago Bears Training Camp. And as she continues exploring where finance, business and sports can intersect, she's only getting started. We can't wait to see where Olivia goes next!