TSU Student Wins $2,500 Smashville Sports Scholarship

Jaylah Milfort sat in the stands of Bridgestone Arena when she heard her name called as the first-ever scholarship winner of the Smashville Seminar, a partnership between the Nashville Predators, Nissan, and Tennessee State University. The $2,500 award marks a major step toward her ultimate goal of owning a sports franchise.

The Smashville Seminar offers TSU students a week-long, hands-on look inside the Nashville Predators organization. Milfort and her classmates shadowed different departments, discovering the complex machinery that makes professional sports run smoothly.

"From the outside looking in, you would never think it takes all of this to make everything run," Milfort said. She shadowed the guest services department during the Predators' 6-3 win over Boston, helping create what the team calls "Golden Moments" for fans.

As a former Division 1 athlete, Milfort had only seen sports from one angle. The seminar opened her eyes to the business side: revenue operations, community engagement, and fan experience. "A lot of us come from being athletes and only see one side of sports," she explained.

The scholarship aims to remove financial barriers so students can focus entirely on their studies and career paths. "Adding that scholarship portion to this particular program is vital to take some of that financial burden off students," said Nissan's Lanae Williamson, Senior Manager of Multicultural Strategy and Marketing Operations.

Amy Bratten, the Predators' Director of Social Impact and Growth, called Milfort an excellent candidate from the start. "We are grateful to Jaylah for being here in Smashville, and we are so appreciative of her time and her talents."

The Ripple Effect

Milfort's ambitions stretch far beyond her master's degree. She wants to climb through sports management ranks while building environments where fans, athletes, and communities thrive together. "I want to be a leader in sports to help create environments in an organization," she said.

The program also created something unexpected: a lifelong hockey fan. Milfort had never watched hockey up close before the seminar. "Now, I'm definitely going to be a fan for life," she said, describing the game experience as her favorite part of the week.

The relationships she built during those seven days will last just as long as her newfound love for hockey.