Set to work in her third Super Bowl, Penn State grad has ‘paved the way’ for young women in sports
Katie Kemmerer is trying not to get used to this feeling — she knows it’s far from normal.
But that’s not easy when this has become an annual occurrence for her. Kemmerer, a 2018 Penn State graduate and the executive support coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs, spent the week in Tampa, Florida, getting prepared to work Super Bowl LV. Sunday marks her third trip to the Super Bowl in four years, after she worked Super Bowl LII in 2018 as a student and the past two Super Bowls as a member of the Chiefs organization.
“One of the goals I kind of set for myself was to be part of an NFL organization that goes to a Super Bowl,” Kemmerer said. “And now to be with one that is going to it two years back to back, it’s pretty surreal.”
Kemmerer — along with Jill Beckman, the social media coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — is one of two Penn State grads that will be involved in Super Bowl LV by working for either team. And they’re both helping break barriers for women in sports and paving the way for those that will follow in their footsteps.
Being a former president of Penn State’s student chapter of the Association for Women in Sports Media (AWSM), Kemmerer was once in the shoes of current Penn State students who aspire to one day work in sports, too.
In her role — which allowed her the opportunity to design the Chiefs’ 2020 Super Bowl rings — Kemmerer is inspiring other young women who will come after her.
“She’s really paved the way for all young members,” said Megan Harris, a Penn State junior and the current president of Penn State’s AWSM chapter. “... She’s working in the NFL, and the team’s in the Super Bowl right now. The work that she put in as an AWSM member and then as an AWSM president makes me feel like I can do that, too.”
John Affleck, the Knight Chair in Sports Journalism and Society and director of the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State, said Kemmerer’s work ethic stood out from the time he first met her as a freshman.
Also the adviser for Penn State’s AWSM chapter, Affleck began working with Kemmerer at the end of her freshman year, when she was elected to the executive board of the group.
“I worked with her for a really long time, and she was just an incredibly hard-working student and knew a ton about football,” Affleck said.
Kemmerer credits the “real-world experience and connections” she gained while at Penn State for her early success in the industry.
She adds that Penn State alumni made her aware of key opportunities, and now, she hopes to do the same for others.
And her advice to current Penn State students who wish to work in sports in the future?
“I would say don’t sell yourself short,” Kemmerer said. “Rely on what you know you’re good at, but also don’t be afraid to take chances. … I think there’s a tendency to not apply for things you don’t think you’re qualified for, but you never know what they’re looking for.”
Kemmerer’s actions have had just as much — if not more — of an impact than any words of encouragement she can share.
It’s the accomplishments of people like Kemmerer and Beckman that fuel the next group of young women at Penn State to chase their dreams in sports, too.
“Seeing Jill and Katie absolutely just killing it out there has really helped motivate our members to apply for things and really push their limits,” Harris said, “because they see that those things are also possible.”
This story was originally published February 7, 2021 at 7:00 AM.
