Daniel O’Hanlon ’21 has big dreams of a future at Fenway Park.
A lifelong sports fan and New England native, O’Hanlon aspires to land a full-time role with his hometown team. “I’m a big baseball enthusiast, and for the longest time my goal has been to work for the Red Sox front office in some capacity.”
His path to a future in sports management began long before he arrived on campus in Wellesley. As a high school student, he volunteered as a manager for his school’s baseball and basketball teams. “Through that experience, I was able to spend time with some of my best friends and become a part of the school community.”
He’s continuing on that path at Babson. O’Hanlon focused his studies with a business analytics concentration and has his eyes set on an internship with the Red Sox. And, when the season’s in full swing, you can find him actively involved with Babson’s baseball team.
Play by Play
Babson’s tight-knit community was one of the many reasons O’Hanlon chose to attend. Since his arrival, he has found his community with the baseball team.
“As a first-year student, I lived in the same Park Manor West hallway as some new members of the team,” he said. “After some encouragement from friends, I reached out to Coach Matt Noone P’23 to see how I could get involved.”
O’Hanlon serves as the team’s manager, primarily responsible for updating the team’s social media accounts. If you’ve ever followed the Beavers from afar—perhaps during their NEWMAC championship run in 2019—you’ve seen Twitter updates from O’Hanlon. He watches from the sidelines, donning a Babson Beavers sweatshirt and the team’s baseball cap, and recounts each and every moment via Twitter. And, when the team clinched the championship this spring, he joined them on the field for a celebratory photo.
“Being able to manage the Babson team during such a successful time in program history is truly lucky,” he said. “My favorite moment of the season was celebrating with the team after their final home win to earn a College World Series berth—a first in program history.”
Off the Field, On to Spain
Of course, O’Hanlon’s time at Babson is more than just baseball. He occasionally has to miss a home game for class—his favorite so far has been Foundations of Management and Entrepreneurship (FME)—and recently took advantage of Babson’s education abroad offerings with an elective in Spain called The City as Text: Mapping Cultural Histories in Barcelona and Madrid with Associate Professor Jenny Rademacher.
“It was my first time traveling abroad and it was an incredible experience,” he said. The elective explored the evolution and culture of Barcelona and Madrid. O’Hanlon chose the trip because of the format—electives abroad are short-term trips that combine classroom instruction on campus with company site visits, cultural excursions, and hands-on experiences abroad. “I also really enjoyed getting to know the other Babson students on the trip, many of whom I hope to stay in touch with this fall.”
A highlight of the trip: discovering how easy it was to navigate the city. “It was cool to discover how accessible both cities are for wheelchair users or people with disabilities. I appreciated that a lot throughout the trip.”
Looking Ahead
Now that he’s back stateside and beginning his junior year, O’Hanlon is looking forward to returning to classes, the start of the baseball season, and hustling toward his ultimate goal of landing that internship with the Red Sox.
“My Babson degree offers me so much flexibility and potential to do almost anything,” he said. He offers this advice for prospective students—don’t rule out business, even if you’re not sure if business is your path. “You never know where you might end up after four years.”
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