DAVIS, Calif. — During his career as a goalkeeper, Jon Laughlin has stared into the eyes of many an oncoming striker and won. Nothing, however, prepared the UC Davis men's soccer senior to face what he did this summer at Papa Murphy's Park.

"Being a goalie, it is never easy going 1-v-1 with a striker, but an opposing team that has to look at the wall of Sacramento Republic FC fans called the 'Tower Bridge Battalion' has a tough fight ahead," Laughlin recalls. "The constant flag waving, beating of drums, and non-stop cheering for the team they love, is more intimidating than any striker I have ever faced."

A four-year member of the Aggies' roster, the senior managerial economics major parlayed a posting from the UC Davis Aggie EVO Program into a summer internship with the Republic FC — a perfect opportunity to blend the sport that he loves to play with a career he hopes to pursue. A decorated goalkeeper out of Leland HS, Laughlin made his debut in net for the Aggies in 2017 against San Jose State and has helped No. 17 UC Davis to an unbeaten start (6-0-2 overall) to the 2018 campaign and its highest national ranking in a decade at No. 13 in the country.

Laughlin also had the added benefit of being able to learn the tricks of the trade from former Aggie Ethan Shawlee, a four-year letter winner for the UC Davis men's soccer team from 2009-12 who serves as Sacramento Republic FC's Senior Partner Business Manager and thinks the Aggie EVO program will be revolutionary in achieving the goal of a successful "launch" for Aggie student-athletes after graduation.

"The Aggie EVO Program is going to be an essential tool for both professional organizations and student-athletes looking to begin a career outside of their sport," Shawlee said. "Employers are always challenged with finding valuable employees that provide a solution to their needs and the student-athletes from UC Davis have always provided a high level of proficiency for us. As a former student-athlete at UC Davis, I had some help along the way in gaining experience and starting a network of contacts, but it was not easy to begin the path. Aggie EVO will serve as a mutual benefit to employers and student-athletes by creating a way to directly connect with each other and forge relationships to achieve common goals."

With the Tower Bridge Battalion now behind him in support, instead of bearing down on him, Laughlin's path is a little clearer. We sat down with the San Jose, Calif., native to get his thoughts on his time with Republic FC.

Q: WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT THE PUBLIC MAY NOT REALIZE ABOUT WORKING FOR A PROFESSIONAL SPORTS FRANCHISE?
JON LAUGHLIN: "Sacramento Republic FC, as with most sports teams, has a lot more business behind the scenes than the public is aware of. I worked under Ethan Shawlee, Senior Partner Business Manager, in the Corporate Partnership division. Ethan, and the other employees in the division, work to make sure the team's main partners/sponsors (UC Davis Health, Papa Murphy's, etc.) are being properly represented at the games and on the team's website."

Q: WALK US THROUGH A TYPICAL DAY AT YOUR INTERNSHIP.
JL: "A normal day in the office consists of a variety of tasks. On any given day, I could be asked to listen to audio from previous games, tag photos, or make sure past games were streamed and broadcasted in the correct format with accurate partner representation. Another part of my job was to facilitate the set-up and take-down of corporate partners' materials on game days. Prior to the gates opening for the fans, we walk the field and make sure the advertising boards are in the correct location and aesthetically pleasing. Next, we assist partners with their booth's physical presentation. Then, after half-time, we help with the take down of the partners' materials and sponsorship tents."

Q: WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST REWARDING PART OF YOUR INTERNSHIP? THE MOST CHALLENGING?
JL: "The most rewarding part of the job has been being able to work in a professional setting in an area that I love while getting the experience of a full-time job. The most challenging part of the job is making sure that nothing is overlooked. The attention to detail is very important in the corporate partnership department."

Q: HOW HAS YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A STUDENT-ATHLETE HELPED YOU WITH THIS POSITION?
JL: "Being a student-athlete has helped me develop a good work ethic and to really focus on getting things done in a timely manner. When working a Sacramento Republic FC soccer game, every task/job has to be done on schedule or the game is delayed and partners are not happy. Playing for a collegiate team, as well as working on a corporate team, has showed me that my position is like a cog on a bicycle wheel, all the cogs are needed in their respective positions for the bike to run smoothly and efficiently."

Q: HOW HAS THIS JOB ENHANCED, ENRICHED, OR BROUGHT TO LIFE, WHAT YOU ARE LEARNING IN YOUR COURSES AT UC DAVIS?
JL: "Working at Sacramento Republic FC has taught me how much work goes into making a professional soccer game run smoothly. Their Corporate Partnership division has put into perspective some of the information I learned from my marketing classes. For example, where to place advertising signs or sponsorship tents for the greatest visibility thereby leading to increased revenues."

Q: HOW HAS THE AGGIE EVO PROGRAM PREPARED YOU FOR THE WORKPLACE?
JL: "The AggieEVO program has put the professional workplace right in-front of me. The World-of-Work Wednesdays, career fairs, and field trips have taught me to hold myself to a professional standard that will be required once I graduate and get a full-time job. The program has made me start to think about my future and what I want from it. The program requires certain tasks each year from the student-athletes. Being accountable to an outcomes advisor for these tasks has helped me further my steps towards obtaining a rewarding career after graduation."

Q: WHAT ARE YOUR CAREER PLANS AFTER GRADUATION? WHAT HAS INSPIRED OR DRAWN YOU TO THAT CAREER?
JL: "I really enjoy sports and working with numbers. My dream job would be to work for a sports team in their finance department. I am currently working with the AggieEVO program to make this a reality."

ABOUT UC DAVIS
Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation according to the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education, and among the top 10 public universities nationwide according to U.S. News and World Report, UC Davis offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.

AGGIE EVO
Launched in 2017-18, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation. Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.