The connections between Little League Baseball® and Pennsylvania College of Technology are decades' old, from construction students' work on the original complex in the 1950s to this month's catered meals for players in the 75th annual LLB World Series.
Added this summer to that historic partnership is the inclusion of the college's graphic design know-how, which has brought some local color to the global stage.
Student intern Natalie K. Lincalis, of Muncy, is part of a Wildcat trio – joining alumni Veronica E. Ditzler and Danielle N. Gannon, part-time graphic designers – during this year's series, which ends with Sunday's championship game (between Hawaii and Curaçao) in South Williamsport. She saw the position on a job-posting website and through a message from instructor Nicholas L. Stephenson, was interviewed by phone and via video, and soon was off and swimming through a swirl of deadline projects.
"Some days, I never know what I'll be doing. They'll say, 'We need a sign for this area of the complex,' or a 'thank you' card, or a 'save the date' for the World Series," Lincalis said. She and her co-workers have created section signs for Howard J. Lamade Stadium, placards for the Family Fun Zone, and all manner of directional signage. And, the group's 85-page pièce de résistance: the official Little League Baseball World Series souvenir program.
"That was a fun project, the three of us as a tag team, working back-and-forth from one file. Stressful, too, as we were waiting on team photos and info to close out the last few pages," she said. "I was so happy! All the weight just lifted when we sent our last revisions to the printer. It's kind of surreal to see it now, and to think, 'Ohmigosh, we made that entire program by ourselves!'"
The group's work has guided and delighted fans, and has drawn in-house praise.
“Being a part of the Little League Internship Program is an experience that only a limited number of students have the opportunity to take advantage of each year, and Natalie has been sure to make the most of her time with our team in Williamsport,” said Kevin Fountain, Little League senior director of communication. “From designing the cover of the 2022 Little League Baseball World Series program and creating modernized signage displayed all around the complex, to enhancing Little League’s overall digital presence, Natalie has helped bring the new Little League brand to life and has become an integral part of our team. We are proud of the work that Natalie – and the entire intern class of 2022 – has accomplished during their short time with our team and are a better organization because of the hard work they put in.”
When Lincalis toured Penn College toward the end of her Warrior Run High School education, she looked both at architectural technology and graphic design.
"I wanted to build houses," she said, so architecture got the original nod. But she soon realized that her passion was in design, "and it's been fabulous ever since." She earned an associate degree in advertising art in May 2021 and is in her final year of a Bachelor of Science in graphic design. She also works part-time in The Madigan Library and as a student assistant in College Relations.
"I hope I get a job that's as exciting and incredible as this one," Lincalis said, as the final games neared and she looked toward the countdown to May 2023 graduation. "I don't want to sit at a desk all day, and this has been something different all the time."
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