Drake University softball senior Kailee Smith has always described herself as an independent person. Her softball career started out behind the plate as a catcher before her mom convinced her to reluctantly take to the circle and try her hand at pitching.
 
"Coming to Drake was a no-brainer – I wanted out of California," said Smith who hails from Murrieta, Calif. "And then going to Atlanta I had so much fun, I was so excited to go there and I wasn't nervous."
 
Smith joked about how to her parents dismy she picked a school 1,600 miles away from home. Following the conclusion of the 2017 softball season, Smith headed another 900 miles east to Atlanta, Ga. for a summer internship with the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball.
 
"I didn't know anyone there, and I loved it," Smith said. "I love being independent and not knowing people and having to find my way into friend groups and experiencing new things. That's what I live for, I just love it so much."
 
It's no secret student-athletes live on a tight schedule. Going from class, to practice, back to class. Squeezing in training sessions and group projects. Finding time to take an occasional nap is nearly impossible, let alone adding in an internship like many fellow classmates.
 
"I didn't really have any experience," Smith said. "I worked at the Des Moines Radio Group last summer and I've done some work with Drake Athletics marketing but that's it."
 
It turns out, that's all it took. Smith took her passion and knowledge to the city of Atlanta in, playing an integral part in the Braves' inaugural season inside the brand-new SunTrust ballpark.
 
"The atmosphere was awesome," Smith said. "It was the first year in the new stadium so it was an amazing inaugural season to be a part of."
 
While perhaps not the most experienced intern, Smith was able to lean on her life-long softball career and her experience as a student-athlete at Drake. 
 
"I know a lot about the game," Smith said. "It helped knowing the atmosphere of a sporting event and the competitiveness. Fans get very competitive, and I know what competitive is. It was the first year in the new stadium so the atmosphere was awesome."
 
As one of 50 promotions interns for the 2017 season, every day at the ballpark was different. Daily tasks ranged from putting elf costumes on life-sized bobbleheads, setting up for concerts and assisting in post-game autographs. The season brought a record number of rain delays for the Braves along with tallying the most wins in two years.  
 
"My favorite part was interacting with the players," Smith said. "They would come up before games and interact with us and the fans and that was just really fun."
 
A Southern California native, Smith admits her team loyalty lies with the Los Angeles Dodgers – but during the 2017 season the Braves laid claim to Smith's favorite player, Matt Kemp. 
 
"I'm not a Braves fan," Smith said. "But I went on the Braves website and just applied for every job on there."
 
Throughout the summer, Smith had the opportunity to follow the team on the road and visit stadiums around the country, travel home and visit friends.
 
"I learned that I really love to travel," Smith said. "I know that when I'm looking for a future job or career I want something that allows me to be able to travel and do things."
 
Smith enters her senior year coming off a strong junior campaign as the Bulldogs primary pitcher. She recorded 18 wins with a 3.27 ERA in a career-high 214.0 innings while striking out a career-best 91 batters. Smith tossed four shutouts in 2017, including a perfect game in the regular season finale against Loyola.