Church Street Story: Helping the Mets Give Back

April 28, 2026

Justin Daniels '21 is connecting the Major League Baseball organization with those in need as the Amazin' Mets Foundation's coordinator for community engagement.

When Justin Daniels '21 secured a ticketing internship with the New York Mets in 2023, he didn't need to learn about the franchise. The New York City native knew all about the Mets and had firsthand experience understanding what it meant to be a Mets fan.

Justin's Mets' interest stems from his father, who rooted for the organization despite living in the Bronx, home to the crosstown rival New York Yankees. While the Yankees have won 27 World Series championships — the most in Major League Baseball — the Mets have just two titles, the most recent coming in 1986.

"To be a Mets fan, you've got to be loyal to the core. It's not for the weak," Justin said. "If you're a Mets fan, you know you're a real fan."

Today, Justin gets to interact with his fellow Mets fans on a daily basis. As the Amazin' Mets Foundation's coordinator for community engagement, Justin's office is Citi Field — the Mets' stadium — and his job is to connect with supporters. 

Working for a professional sports team is hectic, Justin said, but hectic in a good way. His responsibilities differ in-season versus out of season and on game days as opposed to offdays. During games, Justin helps lead the team's 50-50 raffle. Fans buy raffle tickets during the game, and then one winner receives half of the amount of money used for ticket purchases — the other half goes to the Amazin' Mets Foundation.

The Foundation supports programs in the community that directly impact New Yorkers in need, ranging from addressing food insecurity to supporting first responders.

On non-game days, Justin's focus is on the Foundation's philanthropic programs, be it connecting with a fan going through a hard time or helping organize a pep rally at local schools promoting the importance of reading.

While it's fun being connected to a sports team, Justin said it's the giving back aspect of the job that is most exciting.

It's also personal.

His parents separated when he was young, and while his father lived in the Bronx, his mom was in Queens. Justin ended up spending many days at The Boys Club of New York's Abbe Clubhouse, where he got access to food and an array of programmatic opportunities, from swimming and sports to educational support and wellness development.

Justin credits The Boys Club with helping him get into boarding school at Fryeburg Academy in Maine. He credits Fryeburg with introducing him to MCLA.

"I would've loved to go to a huge school, but my biggest thing was how can I go to get an education I want that I can afford so that I'm not leaving school with a big debt," Justin said. "My guidance counselor actually went to MCLA and she had good things to say. She said, 'It's a small school. I think it'll be good for you.'"

Justin listened to her explain the benefits of small classes and became more intrigued.

"I loved the idea of being able to go to professors to ask for help and having more one-on-one time," he said. "I was a kid in high school that always went for extra help, so to still have that ability in college, that was a big plus for me."

That, plus MCLA being the most affordable school that he looked at, was all Justin needed to hear. 

At MCLA, he majored in business administration and management with a minor in marketing. When he wasn't in class, he kept himself busy. His peers elected him to be a student trustee and voting member of the MCLA Board of Trustees, allowing him the opportunity to represent students in Board discussions. 

He also was:

• An Orientation leader, where he helped new students transition to MCLA.
• An Admission ambassador, tasked with supporting prospective student recruitment by providing campus tours and writing letters to accepted students.
• A volunteer with H.A.L.F. Times - (Healthy Active Lifetime Fitness), an afterschool program that organizes sports and playground games for kids in fourth through sixth grades.

"I became more independent at MCLA because I learned to say 'No' to things that didn't fit me," Justin said. "Especially growing up, you don't want to tell your friends 'No' to something, but sometimes you've got to set boundaries, put your priorities first, and do things that you want to do and get done." 

Coming to that realization was the most important lesson Justin took from his time on campus.

"MCLA is mixed with so many different types of people who are into so many different things," Justin said. "People were comfortable being themselves. Coming from the city, not everybody's accepting of certain things or people. At MCLA, you could just be you and nobody was going to make fun of you or judge you for it."