Skyhawks, Goodwill of North Georgia Host Job Shadowing Night at Gateway Center Arena

The College Park Skyhawks, NBA G League affiliate of the Atlanta Hawks, teamed up with Goodwill of North Georgia on Tuesday night during the Skyhawks’ home matchup against the Birmingham Squadron to host Job Shadowing Night, creating a unique career exploration experience for local residents.

Participants, selected by Goodwill of North Georgia, were paired with Skyhawks business staff members across key departments for an inside look at game-day operations. Throughout the evening, participants had the opportunity to observe, ask questions, and gain hands-on insight into potential career paths in sports, entertainment, and community impact.

The night began with a panel discussion featuring Skyhawks staff members from retail, marketing, information technology, and community impact. Following the panel, participants were matched with their department of choice and took part in a pregame showcase designed to introduce them to the inner workings of a professional sports organization.

From there, groups split into departments including marketing, social media, IT and in-game statistics, community, and retail, receiving a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to execute a Skyhawks game night in College Park.

“Partnering with Goodwill of North Georgia has allowed us the chance to foster relationships and grow the professional paths of people in our own community,” said Sadé Means, Manager of Community Impact for the College Park Skyhawks. “Job Shadowing Night was the perfect reflection of that and made for a unique and immersive opportunity for participants to shadow and connect with many of our key staff members who make Skyhawks game days run at a high level.”

Participants were recognized in an in-game spotlight during halftime, capping off a night centered on opportunity, access, and community connection.

“Our partnership with the College Park Skyhawks plays an important role in Goodwill of North Georgia’s New Year, New Job initiative by helping us connect career participants to opportunities in innovative and engaging ways,” said Trenise Lyons, Director of Communications and Community Engagement for Goodwill of North Georgia. “Through experiences like job shadowing, community events, and on-site career resources, this collaboration allows us to expand access to employment, showcase nontraditional career pathways, and reinforce our mission to put people to work by helping people start the new year with meaningful job opportunities.”

Goodwill of North Georgia serves a 45-county territory through more than 100 stores and donation centers, along with 14 career centers and a mobile career center that provide no-cost job training and placement services. Through these programs, Goodwill supports veterans, individuals with disabilities, youth, single parents, the underemployed, individuals with criminal backgrounds, and anyone seeking meaningful employment.

Over the past year and a half, the Skyhawks and Goodwill of North Georgia have built a strong partnership, collaborating on Pop-Up Shops and donation drives at Skyhawks home games, Curriculum Night at West Clayton Elementary School, where families accessed career resources via a Mobile Career Center, and now Job Shadowing Night, continuing a shared commitment to creating pathways to opportunity within the community.