PASADENA, CA – College baseball season may be over, but for a few Leos, the sprint towards first base never stopped. La Verne students Aaliyah Alamillo and Leila El Sabbagh spent their summer as interns with the Arroyo Seco Saints baseball team. Located in Pasadena, the Saints are a collegiate summer baseball team that competes in the California Collegiate League (CCL).
Former Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant and current Assistant Director of Athletic Communications at Cal Poly Pomona Sydney Ferris worked for the Saints as the baseball operations intern in the summer of 2025 and the general manager this past offseason, and recruited Alamillo and El Sabbagh to the Saints this summer.
"I have seen up close and personal just what they have to offer. From photography, videography, journalism and social media, these students have continued to impress me throughout their young careers," said Ferris
The students are active members of La Verne's campus and participate in the Sports Media Club. The club provides opportunities to students through Leopard Athletics that they might not encounter elsewhere. The students can be found taking photos at games, broadcasting, and producing content for La Verne athletics social media accounts. Ferris preaches that hands-on experience like this is crucial for learning in this field, and says everyone needs a first chance.
Aaliyah Alamillo, a photographer at ULV who specializes in baseball action photography, knew that working for the Saints was a great opportunity for her. At her internship during game days, she takes photos, edits them, and does some occasional video work as well. Alamillo's goal is to work for Major League Baseball one day as a photographer, and she feels that her work at La Verne and with the Saints has prepared her for that. "Both experiences have helped by giving me the opportunity to participate in professional environments and learning technical skills I will need for the future," said Alamillo.
Leila El Sabbagh, a broadcaster at La Verne for both athletics and LVTV, has filled a different role for the Saints. Her day-to-day consists of writing pre and post game stories, filming 'Saints Say What' for Instagram, and contributing to the team's Twitter account. El Sabbagh is not new to balancing multiple responsibilities at once. Her involvement at La Verne spans many departments. She says that this expansive repertoire has allowed her to gain comfort in different roles. "I think that working with different on-campus outlets like Campus Times and LVTV has gotten me a lot more comfortable with speaking to athletes and exercising my voice during broadcasts," said El Sabbagh.
The Leos have used all of this experience to excel at the Saints. When asked what the Leos have brought to the Arroyo Seco, Ferris responded, "Their dedication, leadership, and passion shine in all their work. I am always very proud of my Sports Media Club members in all their ventures and so happy to support them in ways like this."
These Leopards are representing La Verne well, on the field and off.
