Ocean State Today

A leader on and off of the field, University of Southern Maine student-athlete Rona Scott (Beverly, Mass.) has recently returned from a weekend in Indianapolis at NCAA headquarters as one of 200 students selected to participate in the 2022 NCAA Career in Sports Forum.

"This experience was so energizing, and has really given me a more focused perspective on my future as an Athletics professional," said Scott.  "Having had previous experiences with the NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Training (SALT), and Immersion Program, I had started to formulate a career plan, and this most recent experience has given me a greater sense of purpose and has me thinking about my why."

The Career in Sports Forum is an annual educational program that brings together 200 selected NCAA student-athletes to learn about and explore potential careers in sports, particularly college athletics. This unique three-day forum helps student-athletes chart their career paths. Participants network with and learn from current athletics professionals

The forum allows attendees to network with peers and decision-makers at the campus, conference, and national level of college athletics with the following program objectives:

• Educate participants on how personal strengths intersect with career opportunities.
• Provide participants with tangible experiences that will push them forward in their aspiration for a career in sports.
• Explore professional and career development strategies to help the transition to a career in the sports industry.
• Learn about the role of an intercollegiate coach, athletics administrator, and national governing body staff member.

"Along with the career focused sessions and tremendous guest speakers, I was able to meet a really diverse group of people," said Scott. "Meeting people from different backgrounds, international student-athletes, and people like myself who are forging a path for themselves was enlightening and energizing. There are a good number of us beginning to learn our why, establish what success will look like for us in the present and in the future from all over, so it definitely gave me of community and perspective. But I am really glad that I didn't have a 27-hour flight back home like some of the international student-athletes attending the event."

With notable speakers including Jonathan Sprinkles, Clyde Doughty, Jr., and Will Baggett, Scott and the rest of the forum participants were immersed in topics ranging from professional development, personal branding, developing a career plan and practical approaches to a job search.

"Taking in all of the information and having the opportunity to learn from so many people, established professionals and my peers alike, made this experience better than I could have imagined," said Scott. "Everyone was so positive and reassuring, and the guest speakers gave us such confidence in ourselves – I have such a great opportunity ahead of me, and I'm confident in my ability to transfer the skill set unique to being a student-athlete provides to my future goals.

A William B. Wise Scholar-Athlete and officer in the Huskies' Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), Scott is a member of the Huskies' softball team and is a two-time All-Little East Conference 1B.  Majoring in Biology, Scott was a 2022 recipient of the Athletic Department's Kimberly M. Turner Award.

"I want to thank our athletic department for cultivating these opportunities to represent our great institution at the Career In Sports Forum.  This experience has helped solidify my career aspirations to work in athletics and more specifically within the NCAA intercollegiate realm.  Thank you to the NCAA staff for organizing such an inspiring, informational and life changing event."

Original source can be found here.