At St Andrew’s, we pride ourselves on not only the diversity of our students, but the diverse avenues of opportunities opened to them through College life. While some students wish to pursue creative careers, and others work hard to achieve academic ambitions, some have their sights set on the sports business world. For all these students, internships can offer invaluable insight and training.
This has certainly been the case for Joshua Spark (Fr 2025) and Suhanya Jayasuriya (Fr 2025), who have both had the exciting opportunity to intern at Sydney FC this year, the most successful A-League club in Australian football history.
The internship was arranged through St Andrew’s in collaboration with Sydney FC. After a competitive application process the two second year students were selected. We spoke to them to find out more about the internship and what it has meant for them since they began in January.
Joshua and Suhanya are both are studying at the University of Sydney while residing at St Andrew’s. Joshua is in his second year of a Bachelor of Commerce and Advanced Studies, majoring in International Business and Economics, and Suhanya completed her first year in a Bachelor of Science last year (Exercise and Sport Science), before transferring to a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Economics and Business Law and minoring in High Performance Sport.
Although initially attracted to St Andrew’s because of its “sporting excellence”, Joshua also said that he later “became convinced to apply here due to the breadth of opportunity in not only sport but academics, culture and experiences. College has facilitated a move away from home where I have been supported to pursue a wide array of my interests in one of the best cities in the world.”
Suhanya, on the other hand, was mainly drawn to St Andrew’s because of its community. “In a period where community is diminishing in Australian universities, I wanted to ensure that I got the whole university experience that generations before us enjoyed, and students overseas tend to receive,” she explained. “So, the strong ‘get around it’ culture at Drew’s really appealed to me. Additionally, College offered the best opportunity to continue the extracurricular endeavours that I had enjoyed in high school, including a range of sports, debating and public speaking, music and drama.”
The tutorial program at St Andrews has also proven to be helpful training for the internship. In Joshua’s words, “Coupled with the experience of Drew’s tutorials, I have been able to study business, economics, marketing, criminology, sports economics, risk, accounting and culture, always trying to tie it back to my interests in sports business.”
The internship, however, has been extremely hands on training, offering invaluable insight into the behind-the-scenes operations of a professional sporting organisation. “I have had rotations through marketing, operations, logistics, development pathways, fan engagement and commercial partnerships as well as gamedays,” said Joshua. “Game days have been a true highlight,” he continued. “Seeing the extensive planning that goes into a game day beforehand, as well as executing it on field and behind the scenes has been truly special and has led to some once in a lifetime moments on the field as well as meeting players and Football Australia staff. The catered corporate suites for the latter stages of games was also a nice touch!”
Joshua and Suhanya presenting Dr Daniel Tyler a Sydney FC jersey
Incredible experiences have also made the internship equally rewarding for Suhanya. In her words, “Being able to contribute to a real-world environment, while also learning from experienced professionals, made it both engaging and super valuable. It’s easily been one of my favourite parts of my university experience so far!” Like all football fans, she has also enjoyed the incredible atmosphere of game days, as well as meeting the players and the Chair of Football Australia, Anter Isaac. “I feel incredibly lucky to have had these experiences so early in my career,” she emphasised, “and they’ve only strengthened my enthusiasm for the industry!”
Both Joshua and Suhanya acknowledge that the internship has helped confirm their future ambitions. Suhanya stressed that the internship “solidified my interest in the sporting industry, particularly in the business and management side of elite sport. Being able to see how a professional organisation like Sydney FC operates behind the scenes has given me a much clearer idea of the kinds of roles I’d like to pursue, and the skills I’ll need to get there. I also want to make the most of my time at university and college – academically, through the range of cultural opportunities at college, and socially, while continuing to develop skills that will set me up for a career in the industry. One day I’d love to be a leader in this space – a high-performance sporting environment, ideally with a professional club or organisation! Sport is such a wonderful way to bring people together, and the industry is growing rapidly! I would love to a part of something where I can contribute to both the success of an organisation and the development of athletes.”
Joshua is happy to say that he is currently doing his dream job. “I have loved this internship and think this is exactly what I want to do forever,” he said. “No two days are the same, always on your feet and moving around the office, training venues and stadiums and you still get to celebrate the success of some of the most famous clubs in the world. I am truly grateful to have had the experience so early in my college and university life.”
Main Photo: Joshua and Suhanya outside Sydney FC with their Mentor, Jay Phouisangiem