Posted on Friday, July 25, 2025
A group of LC representatives got a sense of how the big leagues operate during All-Star Week, one of the largest spectacles in baseball.
Sophomore Seth Horne, whose passion for sports began playing wheelchair basketball at the age of 8, said he never could have dreamed of working for the Atlanta Braves at the national event July 11-15.
“From greeting people at the trophy room to having a front-row seat on the red carpet, this experience was beyond my expectations,” he said.
Horne also had to navigate the event in a wheelchair.
“I do not see my disability as an obstacle, but instead a part of who I am,” he said.
Horne, along with 2025 alum Nick Morgan and senior Brandon Matson, spent much of their time managing attractions and engaging with baseball fans in the All-Star Village at the Cobb Galleria Renaissance Hotel.
“All-Star Week helped me become a better speaker,” Horne said.
Morgan, who has been interning this summer with the Columbus Clingstones minor league baseball team, said the All-Star event was a good learning experience.
“It allowed me to communicate with new people from across the country,” Morgan said.
Matson said one of his favorite moments was on the red carpet.
“I had the opportunity to meet sports analyst Nick Swisher, who won the World Series with the New York Yankees in 2009,” he said.
Running large-scale events takes a whole team being on the same page, according to Katie Hearn ’12, manager of gameday staffing and administration for the Atlanta Braves.
“My role for All-Star Week was in staffing logistics and accessibility,” she said. “Ensuring all fans, staff and media with accessible needs had the proper communication for their entry/egress took coordination with many people.”
She explained what she looks for when hiring volunteers.
“We want people who are passionate about creating unforgettable moments for our guests,” she said. “We had fans from all 50 states come to Atlanta for All-Star Week and showing them why Atlanta is the capital of Southern hospitality is key.”
Hearn said she loves giving her time to LaGrange College students who work with her during the summer.
“Developing students and showing them that teamwork is just as important off the field as it is between the baselines is a huge passion of mine,” she said.
Like Horne, Hearn has also learned to adapt with a disability. After being offered a full-time job with the Atlanta Braves in 2016, she was diagnosed a year later with pseudotumor cerebri, a condition that caused her to lose most of her vision. Despite this setback, she persevered and returned to the Braves in 2018, the same year she earned the Walter Banks Award for exemplary work.
When facing challenges, she offered this advice to students.
“Be your best self-advocate,” she said. “Have confidence that you can get the job done and take every opportunity you can to prove why you’re the best person for the role.”
8-Tiffany Ward, Library
9-Valerie Alston, Panther Prints/Post Office
10-Kevin Shirley, History
11-Lyn Perry, Education
12-Breanna Sumpter, Athletics (Women’s Flag Football)
12-Colleena Collins, Exercise Science
13-Stacey Ernstberger, Mathematics
17-Tony Talbert, Athletics (Football)
21-Tammy Rogers, Advancement (Development)
24-Julian Rierson, Business Administration
25-Andy Geeter, Advancement (Development)
30-Brian Peterson, Executive Leadership
30-Vickie Evans, Administrative Assistant
Athletics
A total of 78 student-athletes were named All-Academic Conference recipients by the Collegiate Conference of the South. To be eligible for the honor, student-athletes had to have at least a 3.30 grade-point average during the 2024-25 academic year. Of those recipients, 17 earned placements on the Presidents’ Honor Roll after posting at least a cumulative 3.90 GPA.
Men’s Basketball
Panther student-athletes Ford Barnes ’25, Trent Dillard ’26, Devin Dowell ’27, Parker Gonzalez ’26, Jace Herrell ’25, Parker Lovett ’25, Tayshawn Pendleton ’25 and Brodie Scott ’26 were named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches Honors Court this summer. The team had the most players represented by an institution in the Collegiate Conference of the South. To be eligible, junior, senior and graduate student men's basketball players had to earn a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher.
The Men’s Basketball program was also honored as the recipient of the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award for the ninth year. To meet the requirements, member schools needed to have a team GPA of 3.0 or higher.
LaGrange College mourns loss of Fallen Panther, WTVM, July 16
LaGrange College mourns loss of football player, LaGrange Daily News, July 9
Dr. Greg McClanahan: A Calculated Career
With over three decades of dedicated service, retiring Professor of Mathematics Dr. Greg McClanahan reflects on his career at LaGrange College. Learn more about our dedicated faculty and various programs of study at https://www.lagrange.edu.
Category: Students, Events
Keywords: Athletics, Business
