At 'Blue Wahoos U,' graduates get quick study of team operations

In keeping with the team's mission quest, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos created their own unique way of training future employees.
It's called Wahoos U. You figured, right?
Founded in 2018, Wahoos U held graduation ceremonies Thursday for the class of 2019 at Blue Wahoos Stadium. It was complete with pomp and circumstance music, a suitable-for-framing degree, a sheet cake honoring the graduates and a graduation gift.
Okay, full disclosure here.
At "Wahoos U," it's a four-day, once-a-year semester. Two-plus hours per day. The students are interns and trainees. The professors are full-time, front office staff, along with chancellor, team owner Quint Studer, who addressed the class Monday.
"It was Quint's brainchild for Wahoos U," said Candice Miller, the Blue Wahoos human resources director, who worked in tandem with Danielle Djuric, human rescources assistant.
"He wanted a way to give our trainees and interns a fun way to understand how we operate. "I wanted to make sure we had activity, not just people talking at a podium or in front of the group. It was probably six weeks in planning."
This year, 18 men and women, a combination of recent college grads and soon-to-be grads, all of whom were hired to work during the April through August season, went through the club's four-day training.
Yes, even team mascot Kazoo earned a degree. A year ago, 23 participated in the program. Five of those Wahoos U grads became full-time employees. 
Wahoos U is something unique to the Blue Wahoos company. Miller believes the team is the only one in professional baseball with such a training program.
The benefits are easy to see.
"Wahoos U is the whole reason I applied for a full time job here," said Gracey McDonald, who went through the program last year and is now the Blue Wahoos season ticket concierge. "I did not know what my predecessor's job was, but when I saw the presentation, I thought, 'Wow, that is something I really connect with and something I feel like I would really be good at.'
"So two months later, she told me she was retiring and then I went for it."
In the four day program, the group learned about every aspect of team operations. They listened to presentations from every department head. It covered finance, accounting, corporate sales, group sales, tickets, merchandise, media relations, creative services, community relations, ballpark operations, food and beverages.
"I think they're getting more out of it than they thought," Djuric said. "Going into it, I think they thought, 'Ok, this is requirement, so I have to do it.' I think this year having Quint at the start for it, speaking to everyone at the beginning, that made a huge difference."
They also learned about Pensacola's extensive history in baseball from local author Scott Brown, who made a special presentation and video, on his book entitled "Baseball in Pensacola: America's Pastime & The City of Five Flags."
"It really gives you a good idea of what every department does, so you can see exactly what area you want to go into," said Wesley Donald, who went through the program in 2018 and is now a group sales executive. "When you're one of the trainees and interns, you are still trying to feel things out and see what you want to do. Wahoos U gives you that opportunity."
The graduating class also gets to know each other during the four day program.
"It was a lot of fun," McDonald said, recalling her own experience a year ago. "It was also a good way for us as trainees and interns to become good friends. I made lasting friendships because we were in a room for four hours and four days together."
The plan for next year is to go another step further, perhaps even more interactive.
Derek Diamond, assistant creative services director, has been with the Blue Wahoos since 2013. He was a student at Pensacola State College when broadcasting piqued his interest. He loved it so well, he decided on a career path that led into full-time employment with the Blue Wahoos.
His powerful message to this year's Wahoos U class during the creative service presentation was on seizing any potential job in a field you like.
"You never know when opportunity is going to come knocking at your door," Diamond said. "When it does you should answer.
"If you would have told me 10 years ago I would have been working for a professional sports organization, I would have laughed in your face. Any time opportunity comes, take it."
He did. The grads of Wahoos U may soon get the same chance.