My name is Mason Gomez, and I was born and raised in
Sarasota, Florida. I am an ISS (interdisciplinary social sciences) student with
a focus on criminology. I am currently a senior in the middle of my final year
at USF and set to graduate this summer. I got my AA at State College of Florida
and wanted to finish my last two years at a place that was close to home.
I
played baseball and graduated from the IMG Academy in 2019. I was set to play
college baseball in Baltimore but had shoulder surgery in my throwing shoulder
senior year, which switched up my whole career. The next thing about myself is
that I am the clubhouse manager for the Baltimore Orioles. Me getting hurt made
me stay home, finish my associate's degree, and focus on what my next move was.
I interned with the Orioles during COVID in 2020 to get my foot in the door and
now find myself in one of the most unique positions in professional sports. I
am heading into my third season with Spring Training right around the corner,
and I couldn't be more excited to get it started. The last thing about myself
is that I love my dog, Koda, so much. I never truly knew what "a dog is a
man's best friend" meant until I got Koda six years ago. We love walks,
and I can't get ready for anything without him thinking I am taking him with
me.
Working
in professional baseball is without a doubt the most authentic experience I
have ever had. Working with players, coaches, and whoever else I run into is a
feeling like no other. I don’t take it for granted, and my younger self would
be so proud that I kept my head down and kept fighting for my goals. It's not
easy to do, but if you're surrounded by the right people, that will take you
farther, so always remember that.
My favorite social media platform
is Twitter. I am a huge sports fan, and I feel like that is the best place to
get breaking news and updates from reporters. Of course, I use other platforms,
but this is the one that stands out to me. This is my first time creating a
blog, and I can't wait to learn more and more about them as this semester goes
on. Even now, it feels great to just free write on the provided topics, knowing
that it will be distributed to everyone. My experience with blogs isn't
anything crazy, but I love reading them whenever one comes across my path.
Hopefully, that changes throughout this class, and I become more of a blog
writer and not just a reader.
I love that blogs can be about
anything. It gives you the chance to just say what you want to say, and whoever
is interested in it can follow up and hop along on your journey with you. I
can't wait to get this semester rolling, and I hope you know more about me than
you did before.

Welcome to LIS 4380 Mason! Koda is adorable. It is so cool that you figure out how to continue on with baseball even though you had a "career ending injury." You are living proof that good can come out of heartbreak.
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