Alexandra Milano
Title:
Graduate Assistant of the Georgia Way
Major:
Sport Management M.A.
Year:
Class of 2025
Hometown:
Long Island, NY
Imagine the contagious energy of tens of thousands of roaring fans in Sanford Stadium. Now imagine all that excitement, all that positivity, all that passion for sports and success in one person. Meet master’s student Alexandra Milano.
Milano plays perhaps one of the most crucial roles for student-athletes—supporting them off the field so they can be their best on the field. As a former collegiate soccer player, she knows firsthand how a helping hand can make all the difference. The former Stetson University soccer player can extend that hand as the graduate assistant for The Georgia Way, a program dedicated to the academic and personal well-being of student-athletes at UGA. Milano works with athletes across UGA sports programs to guarantee they can thrive as individuals. Academic assistance, community service opportunities, financial assistance, internships, or just recommending a place to eat dinner, she does it all.
“Working with student-athletes, I feel like I have an advantage because I’ve been on the other side. Anything they go through or deal with, I feel like I can help them deal with it.”
Her skills on the pitch led Milano to a scholarship at Stetson in Deland, Florida, where she majored in marketing and sales. Moving from Long Island to Florida was a bit of a culture shock. But her move to UGA, where traditions are rich, actually made her feel at home.
Working with student-athletes, I feel like I have an advantage because I’ve been on the other side. Anything they go through or deal with, I feel like I can help them deal with it.
Alexandra Milano
Graduate Assistant of The Georgia Way
“Being a girl from Long Island and 100% Italian, I love the traditions,” she says. “I just love that there is meaning behind everything. On a gameday, nothing happens that isn’t well thought out and has serious meaning behind it. It makes it very special.”
With that in mind, Milano wants to start some traditions of her own—beginning with women’s roles in the sports industry.
She believes The Georgia Way is paving a career path that’s often missing female representation. That’s why her master’s in Sport Management and Policy from the Mary Frances Early College of Education is so important to her.
“We need more women in this field,” she says. “That is also a big reason why I always want to be the best I can, especially in a field that’s definitely male-dominated.”
At The Georgia Way, Milano is the gateway to providing whatever a player needs to thrive: helping student-athletes find the right class or job opportunity, directing them to mental health services, or just dishing out advice on life. She is especially fond of gamedays, when enthusiasm is sky-high and everyone—from athletic directors and coaches to student-athletes and study workers—share a common goal outside just scoring.
“Being on the field and actually seeing the gameday operations and how the entire athletic department can come together is great. It’s just cool that it doesn’t feel like there’s a hierarchy system at all. Everybody is there for one job, and we have one goal—to provide the best experience for student-athletes we can, and so we do whatever we can to support each other,” she says.
Milano couldn’t be happier that her academics and principles line up. She always thought UGA was cool but says she has truly learned just how superb it is.
“The Georgia Way’s values aligned with my values. I’m very big on living your life to accomplish good and having the value of service affect every decision you make. That’s the way that my family raised me. We’re big helpers. I just always want to help people. So I wouldn’t trade my time there for the world.”
