Living in New York City, meeting NBA and WNBA all-stars, mingling with celebrities – now that’s a life-style any college student would dream of.

But for Illinois women’s basketball player and senior Erin Wigley that dream is her summer job.

Wigley, a sports management major from Moon Township, Pa., is in the final stages of completing a 10-week internship with the NBA in New York City that she started June 5 after returning from a 10-day tour of Italy with her Fighting Illini teammates.

Since arriving in New York at the beginning of the summer, Wigley has been busy working with both facility and team operations and has also helped out at events such as the NBA Draft, NBA Cares charity events and the WNBA All-Star game.

“It’s been exciting so far,” Wigley said. “Things change from week to week. Sometimes time will go by fast and other times it’ll be slow because not a lot will be going on. But it’s great to be able to see all that goes into making things run smoothly at big events and all the preparation that goes into them.”

A regular day for Wigley involves a 30-minute commute on a bus from Manhattan – where she is living with her older sister, Toye – to her office, where she spends her time working on various projects, such as comparing the benefits for season ticket holders of different teams in the league.

But she doesn’t just spend her time cooped up in an office. The best part of her summer internship is getting the opportunity to work at special events and seeing all the work that goes on behind the scenes, she said.

“You get to see what it takes to put a big event together,” Wigley said. “When I help out at events like the [NBA] Draft it’s interesting to see all of the different camera work that goes on and things that people like Stuart Scott have to do before to prepare. It’s something that fans really don’t get the chance to see when they’re watching at home.”

Besides getting the chance to work at large events, Wigley has met and mingled with NBA big-shots and celebrities such as NBA Commissioner David Stern, WNBA stars Dawn Staley and Tina Thompson, comedian Wanda Sykes, and she was lucky enough to have an encounter with Finals MVP Dwayne Wade at the NBA Store.

“Being around basketball I’ve been able to meet professional women players before, so it wasn’t all that new to me,” Wigley said. “But at the same time it’s still very exciting because not everyone has the chance to be around them constantly.”

While in New York, Wigley has also found time to experience the various cultures the Big Apple has to offer. So far Wigley has gone to a Yankees game with some co-workers and has attended the Broadway musical “The Color Purple,” a show that she says is one of her favorite memories of the summer.

“Getting to see the musical was a great experience,” Wigley said. “New York has so much to do and is a great place to be. But I don’t think I would want to live here. It’s just a little too much for me. I miss having my own car and being able to get up and go somewhere without any problems.”

Wigley was one of 1,000 applicants who applied for approximately 40 internships, and after enduring two phone interviews and a face-to-face interview in April in New York, she got the news that she had been offered one of 15 internships based in New York City. The decision to accept was a no-brainer for her.

“When I found out I got the internship I was excited and it was pretty much a cut-and-dry decision,” Wigley said. “But at the same time I was nervous because I was actually having to go and work and have a real job, and I was also worried about being away from the team the whole summer.”

Even though Wigley is getting the chance of a lifetime and getting the experience she’ll need later in her career, she still hasn’t lost sight of getting prepared mentally and physically for her final season as an Illini player.

“I’ve definitely been playing pick-up games and trying to get to the gym when I can,” Wigley said. “Being away from the team this summer has been hard and has really made me come to appreciate this upcoming season and my senior year a lot more.”

Wigley will be Illinois’ top returning scorer after averaging 11.2 points per game last season and earning honorable mention All-Big Ten selection. She is focused on making the most of her final season in the Orange and Blue.

But before she returns to Champaign-Urbana, Wigley will continue to reap all the benefits of having an internship in the Big Apple and is hoping her experiences this summer will help her once she hangs up the sneakers.

“Having this internship has definitely made me want to stay involved in sports for the future,” Wigley said. “I’ve got the chance to meet a lot of new people in different positions out here and since the sports world is very competitive it’ll help me out with having contacts for the future.”