From HPU to the Brooklyn Nets: Annie Borovskiy Scores NBA Career

Weeks before she received her sport management degree from HPU, senior Annie Borovskiy had already accepted her first big job offer. Now, she’s ready to put her education to work as an inside sales representative with the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets after graduation.

As a native of the Philadelphia suburb of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, she feels excited and nervous but ready to take on the challenges of professional sports. Her parents, who emigrated from Ukraine to the United States in the 1990s, also were excited when they discovered High Point University, the place that prepared Borovskiy for her career.

“HPU is a special place for my entire family, and Dr. Qubein’s story resonates with my parents so much,” Borovskiy said. “We’re fortunate I had the opportunity to go to The Premier Life Skills University where we focus on God, family and country.”

Borovskiy described overwhelmingly positive experiences with HPU’s sport management department even as a prospective student before she began classes at HPU. Dr. Jenny Lukow, chair of the Sport, Event and Hospitality Management Department, and Dr. Tim Koba, assistant professor of sport management, were two professors who instilled self-confidence and served as her role models and cheerleaders.

“I knew sport management was a program I would thrive in,” said Borovskiy.

Connecting to Compete

Borovskiy had endless experiential learning opportunities at HPU, which has been key to her success. She took full advantage of the Access to Innovators program. She had lunch on campus with NBA Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall, HPU’s Sports Executive in Residence. Borovskiy also traveled to Texas for a Dallas Mavericks’ externship during her junior year to get a behind-the-scenes mentorship experience from Marshall, who hosts the externship for HPU students every year. The opportunity boosted her understanding of NBA organizations.

Borovskiy also learned from leaders like Charlie Freeman, president of business operations for the NBA Orlando Magic and HPU’s Sports Business Executive in Residence. She interviewed him for an Access to Innovators podcast during her junior year. He taught her more about networking through his visits to campus.

As another example, Borovskiy was a member of the case study team that tackled real-world problems of professional sport organizations and brands to offer solutions in multiple competitions. She competed twice at the Sport, Entertainment, Venues of Tomorrow (SEVT) Conference in South Carolina, as well as the Sport Marketing Association Conference in Florida.

“I was able to make a connection with the Nets after attending SEVT 2023,” Borovskiy said. “On the last day of the conference, there is a fantastic career and internship fair where I met as many organizations as I could. The Nets happened to be one of them. A few calls and interviews later, I knew I made the best decision for my career.”

Back on campus, she’ll point to Koba and say, “He’s the reason I have my job.”

“You’re the reason you have your job,” Koba responds.

In her role with the Brooklyn Nets, Borovskiy will actively pursue new business opportunities through relationship building, including selling season memberships, suite rentals, group events, arena events and more. She must achieve daily, weekly and monthly goals, with the ability to focus on the task in a fast-paced, fun environment.

Professors Become Coaches for Career Success

Lukow described Borovskiy as an exceptional student who always seeks to learn and grow as she charts her path to being a sports industry professional.

“Annie has a genuine desire to learn, work hard and make an impact on whatever task is put in front of her,” Lukow said. “Her organizational skills, leadership abilities and determination have been a driving force behind such sport management initiatives as the Sport Management Association (student club), Case Study Competition Team and the Sport Management social media team. There is no question Annie is leaving a lasting impact on the sport management program. The collegiate support she showed to her fellow students was unrivaled.”

Koba was impressed as Borovskiy developed herself, her relationships and her career.

“Annie is the type of student that we highlight: Get involved as early as possible, take on opportunities when you can, engage with your professors and fellow students, have a great attitude and success will find you. She is a testament to that,” Koba said.

Knowing that experiential learning is key to sport industry success, Borovskiy felt grateful to have great internships and volunteer opportunities during her time at HPU. She worked as a property assistant at Wake Forest Sports Properties for its Men’s Basketball and Football teams connecting with its corporate partners to enhance brand activations, execute in-game promotions, operate TV signage, capture proof-of-performance and more.

“I also spent time as a Social Media & Marketing Intern with Babco Entertainment LCC – a full-service concert event management and booking agency that HPU works with for all of our LIVE@HPU Concerts,” Borovskiy said. “I also worked as a Sport Analyst Assistant at the University of North Carolina for their Baseball and Softball teams. These roles have helped me learn and grow to be confident in my passions of the sport industry, and I am blessed to have spent my time at HPU with these organizations.”

Because data analytics and statistics are integral in the world of sport, Borovskiy researched gender demographics of male college football fans and consumer demographics by conference and generation for her Strategic Management of Sport Organizations class. The class later pitched this semester-long research to Neil Schwartz, president of the Sports Business Research Network.

Koba recalled impressive ideas that Borovskiy and her fellow students presented after a soccer club partnered with HPU’s sport management department to challenge students to create different theme nights to increase attendance.

“I have a copy that we show prospective students on the types of activities they do when they are in the program,” said Koba. “Annie is a strong presenter and puts herself and her team in a position for success.”

From HPU’s Campus to NBA Courts

“In the classroom, I have been able to work on real-world projects with the USL team Greenville Triumph, Under Armour, Sports Business Research Network and NC Fusion to highlight a few,” Borovskiy said. “You must develop a mindset to seize your opportunities and get your name out there with students, professors and administration to make the most of your academic experience.”

Intramural sports were also among her favorite activities on campus along with Student Government Association, Sport Management Association trips and spending time with her friends, Borovskiy said.

“HPU offers an abundance of opportunities across all corners of campus academically and as I reflect, I truly believe I have received a once-in-a-lifetime extraordinary education,” Borovskiy said.