Jadah Hill
Jadah Hill is a Program Operations Manager for the football program at Pacific University, where she is also a sophomore pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Sports Leadership and Management with a minor in Business Administration. She has been in her current role for about a year, initially joining the program as an intern before being promoted after coaches recognized her strong contributions to program development and operations. In her day-to-day responsibilities, she manages film operations by setting up equipment such as drones and HD cameras for practices, overseeing a team of interns, and ensuring game and practice footage is uploaded within 30 minutes for immediate review by coaches and players.
On game days, Jadah works extended 10-hour shifts coordinating a wide range of operational duties. She prepares personalized recruiting materials including name tags and swag bags for visiting athletes, provides campus tours, answers recruit and family questions, and supports the overall game day experience. In addition, she manages all film operations throughout the event and assists with post-game stadium cleanup, ensuring smooth execution from start to finish. Her leadership experience extends beyond athletics, including serving as a junior and senior class president in high school and competing in basketball from the age of eight through her senior year.
Jadah is on track to graduate in Spring 2028 and is focused on building a career in collegiate or professional sports operations, with a particular interest in Division I athletics and professional women’s basketball organizations. She is especially excited about the growth of women’s basketball in the Portland metro area and hopes to contribute to that space in the future. Outside of her academic and athletic commitments, she also helps support her father’s DJ business at events such as weddings, parties, and baby showers, where her love of music and connection with people adds another dimension to her leadership and communication skills.
• Junior Class President
• Senior Class President
What do you attribute your success to?
A big part of my success, I think, would be to my parents, especially my mom. I grew up with a single mom, it was just me and her for the longest time, and I've watched her work countless times. I've watched her go back to school and get her degree while raising 3 kids on her own, and helping get me to where I'm at. She's never discouraged me in what I want to do, and so a lot of my success is to her. She's always just told me, like, once you start something, finish it, and I've always - that's a huge part of my daily routine. Once I start something, I will not let it down until it's done and completed.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is from my mom: once you start something, finish it. There's been times I just want to quit, and I just don't want to keep going, but I keep that in the back of my head, and I always remind myself of that. By the end of whatever I'm doing, there's always a reward at the end for me, whether that's connections, whether that's being able to meet new people, whether that's a new tool in my tool belt that I was able to gain and learn. There's always something that I'm getting out of it, and so I wouldn't change that for anything.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would definitely say, like, don't give up. It's so cliche, and everyone says it, but really don't give up. It is one of the hardest fields to be in being a female, and like I said, being male-dominated, it feels daunting to be surrounded by those people at times. But if you keep going, you keep putting your best foot forward, and keep striving, then it's all gonna work out in the end one way or another. Once one door closes, another one's gonna open. You're maybe not gonna get the opportunity that you wanted from the jump, but that doesn't mean something greater's not gonna come along, and something better's not gonna come along that you can take, and that's actually gonna be more beneficial for you than the first opportunity was.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I would think the biggest challenge for me, at least, is feeling good enough a lot of the times. I deal with imposter syndrome pretty bad. Being able to actually step into this role has helped me with that, but a lot of the times I feel like I'm not doing things right, or things could be better, or stuff like that, even though everything's going smoothly. That, for me personally, is the biggest challenge feeling like I'm doing okay, especially in a male-dominated field. It can get a little overwhelming at times and daunting just being surrounded by these people that have been in the industry for so long, and doing what they're doing, and I'm watching them, and I want to be like them. It's a blessing in disguise. It's definitely helped me grow, but I'm still learning every day about it.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
My first value, always, for personal and professional is family. I wouldn't be anywhere without my family, so I keep them close. They say in this field there's really no work and life balance, but I don't believe that. I think there is, and so I try to keep when I feel anxious, or things aren't going my way, I always turn to my family first. My second value is being able to push through a lot of the times, so I value the consistency in myself and who I am as a person. That's what I value in other people - I like to see consistency, and if you're doing that, then you're gonna be better and grow better. I would also say I value time. I value my personal time. I value the time that I spend with others a lot. Time is huge, because it never stops, it keeps going, and what you do with that time is up to you, and it's all in your control. So, I definitely value the time that I have in this industry, and who I am as a person, and the things I've been through to get to where I am. It's never time wasted. I see it as a learning opportunity every time.