Two graduates of the George Washington University School of Business sports management program have made their goals of working in professional sports a reality, right here in D.C. at Nationals Park.
Peter Lavan, M.S.’25, and Jay Khurana, B.S. ’25, managed to turn their love of sports into careers by gaining valuable experiences through internships and making connections during their time at GW.
Lavan said he has loved sports for as long as he can remember, appreciating the way going to a game can bring people together. Some of his favorite childhood memories were spent at ballparks, and now that he works in the industry, he’s excited to help create those same meaningful experiences for others.
"It's something that every kid is going to remember," Lavan said. “I think that always drives you, because then you can think of how that impacted you as a kid, you can do that for someone else in the future."
Lavan currently works as an associate in the Corporate Partnerships Department for the Washington Nationals. He started the role in April 2025 while completing his final semester in the MS in Sport Management program at GW.
Before joining the Nationals, Lavan spent nearly two years gaining hands-on experience with Monumental Sports & Entertainment. During his junior year, he applied for an internship with the organization’s Global Partnerships team but was told he didn’t yet have enough experience. Instead, he was offered a part-time game night staff role.
He saw it as a valuable way to get his foot in the door and gladly accepted. During the 2023–24 season, he worked game nights for the Capitals, Wizards, Mystics and Capital City Go-Go.
"It was a lot of just being there, being available and doing the work," Lavan said. "Sometimes it was only four or five people working a game night. You just had to follow the lead of the interns and help wherever you could."
When he reapplied for the internship the following fall, he got the position.
The staff role and the internship helped Lavan make connections and gain hands-on experience that he credits for preparing him to succeed at his current position with the Nationals.
Lavan also highlighted the impact his professors at GW had on helping him navigate the realities of the sports industry.
"I think the biggest thing is that a lot of the professors are very realistic," Lavan said. "Professor [Lisa Delpy] Neirotti, for example, is very helpful. She explained a lot of sports jobs are sales jobs. Ticket sales and other sales stuff can be a lot. But if you enjoy it and push through it, and you find it rewarding, you can do really well."
Lavan said working in sports is a very specialized space, and you must know you’re there because you have a passion for it. His advice to students hoping to work in the industry is to be persistent and eager to learn.
“You need to be able to take things on the chin and just keep moving,” Lavan said. “Just being a sponge, wanting to learn everything, and being there made a difference. People can tell if you're enjoying it or not. That makes a big impact.”
Khurana, who also turned his passion for sports into a career at Nationals Park, works as an inside service representative.
He got his start with the Nationals during his sophomore year at GW, working as a Ticket Sales and Service intern in summer 2023. That experience led to a part-time role as an associate and, eventually, a full-time position with the team after graduation.
Khurana said the internship gave him a strong foundation in day-to-day operations, which helped him grow into his current position.
"The best part about the internship is you get a great idea of how everything runs," Khurana said. "You get to help run special events, you’re doing ticket scanning, you’re still making sales calls. I made my first major league sale when I was an intern, which was just an awesome experience."
He said he loves working at Nationals Park and seeing the energy from fans during games is one of the most rewarding parts of the job.
"Nats fans are so passionate," Khurana said. "That’s the biggest thing. There are so many people who stick around year after year and just want to see the team succeed. Working so closely with them every day is one of the biggest things for me."
He added that being part of an organization with such a loyal fan base makes the experience even more meaningful, especially as the team looks ahead.
"I mean, without a doubt, this is a job that aligns with my interests," Khurana said. "That is the one thing, though, right? At the end of the day, working in sports isn't about watching sports. It's about working with your people and the people that are here to watch sports. Of course, I get to come out to games, when possible, which is awesome. But you get to enjoy sports through people, too, which is a very different experience. You get that perspective firsthand from other fans with oftentimes very different mindsets than you might have. So that's rewarding as well."
Khurana’s advice to students hoping to work in sports is to build relationships and use the resources available at GW.
He pointed to professors like Meredith Geisler and Neirotti as mentors with valuable industry experience.
Most of all, Khurana said it’s important to stay curious and open to the wide range of opportunities in the sports industry.
“You never know what else in the sports world might come your way, so keep an open mind,” Khurana said. “Because if you’re searching, you'll find a new role in sports that you didn't realize existed. Sometimes you enter a role and you don’t fully know what you want to end up doing. So keep an open mind, find a position you're passionate about.”
