The following article was published in the August 21, 2026 edition of the Siena SCoop. 

Claire Donlon was born into a family of die-hard Buffalo Bills fans. The Rochester native tries to make it to one home game per year, and while she's locked in on the action, her attention has always been divided (for as long as she can remember) by the other people on the field. Claire loves football, and she can imagine a career working in the NFL, but the front office staff is somewhere in a skybox and the media is perched in the press box. Claire wants to be on the field, like the photojournalists – and now social media content creators – that toe the sidelines.

"I would see the cameramen, and I'd especially pay attention to the camerawomen, and I would think how cool it is to be that close to the players. Honestly, I've been inspired by the women who have put themselves out there, and I wanted to be part of the action like them."

This summer, Claire's been right in the middle of Triple-A action in Rochester. The sports communications major is the Red Wings social media intern – she's promoting games across their social channels, shooting video highlights during the game, and snapping pictures from the dugout (below, right).

Few aspiring professional sports content creators assemble a portfolio midway through their sophomore year that would catch the eye of a Triple-A ballclub (a single rung below Major League Baseball), but when Claire applied for the internship back in January, she had a resume that would rival recent graduates.

"Starting as a freshman, the Siena Athletics department gave me the opportunity to show up at any game on any field and take pictures from the sidelines. They didn't care if I posted to their official accounts, they just gave me the freedom to get better and build my portfolio. I've also been a social media manager for the Siena baseball team for two years. At a larger school, with dozens of professionals hired to do media, I wouldn't get anywhere near the kinds of opportunities I get here."

Claire, a student-athlete on the swimming and diving team, has worked nearly every Red Wings homestand this summer, but perhaps her favorite shoot was an exhibition: the Greg Rousseau Charity Softball Game. The annual event pits the Buffalo Bills offense against its defense. Claire isn't an NFL content creator – yet – but she did check off a lifelong dream of working the sidelines at a "Bills game." (below, left)

"In the moment, I was fine. Completely professional. But then I got in my car afterwards, and I was like, 'Oh my god.'"

Claire expects to complete her bachelor's degree a year early, and she's already committed to earning her MBA at Siena. After that, she'll pursue content creation jobs in professional sports. Ultimately, she'd like to work towards a job as director of marketing relations, ideally for an NFL team. One way or another, she'll be part of the action.

"I just like being up close and getting the behind the scenes shots that people don't see from the stands. Fans only see the stats. My goal is to make the athletes seem human, not like robots."

As you've probably guessed, she's got an exceptional eye for it. Check out Claire's work on her website or visit her Instagram page.