Chance meeting results in FIFA internship for GU student
Published: April 25, 2025
Author: Dave Bell
For Santiago “Santi” Jaimes, an internship with FIFA, the federation that governs soccer tournaments throughout the world, began with a chance meeting on the Greenville University campus.
The affable junior from Morelia, Mexico, was walking through the staging area for GU’s homecoming parade in the fall of 2023 when he spotted a woman wearing the same hat he was wearing.
“I like to talk with people, so I struck up a conversation with her about the hat,” Santi said.
It turned out that the woman is the wife of GU alum and board of trustees member, Dennis Spencer, who is the senior vice president of SPORTFIVE, an international athletic marketing company.
“We talked, right there by the alumni float, and he told me to send him my resumé and other information about myself,” said Santi, a double major in sport management and marketing, and a three-year member of the GU tennis team. “Then, last fall, I contacted him for advice on moving ahead in my career. The next thing I knew, a representative from FIFA reached out to me and asked if I was interested in talking about an internship.”
He was. They did. And, following several interviews, Santi moved to Miami, Florida, in early April to begin his yearlong internship with the Federation International of Football Association, the global governing body for soccer. He will work in the association’s credentialing department, which means he will make sure that all non-ticketed people involved in FIFA events – sponsors, volunteers, teams, security, guests, and media – have the appropriate credentials.
Though Santi will be based in Miami, he will work on FIFA tournaments throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. His duties will focus on soccer clubs this summer and then national teams for next summer’s World Cup tournament.
Because of the internship’s early start date, Santi had to work with his professors and GU’s records office to complete his academic work and stay on course for graduation. He plans to return to GU in the fall of 2026 for his senior year.
Santi’s path to Greenville University was blazed by his older brother, Juan Carlos, who graduated in 2022 with an ag business degree. He worked in the wine business in Napa, California, and now is in France pursuing an advanced degree in the wine field.
“I’m excited,” Santi said as he prepared to move to Maimi. “I don’t fully know what the internship will be like, but it’s a huge opportunity that came my way.
“My father often said that blessings are presented as friendships. Ultimately, all the glory goes to God for opening this door for me, but my friendship with Dennis Spencer played a crucial role to connect me with the right people.
“My advice to other students is to be prepared, always do your best, and be looking for opportunities that God brings your way. Who knew what would come from a casual conversation about a hat!”