NJCAA celebrates inaugural Future Leaders class

Colorado Springs, CO – The inaugural class of the NJCAA Future Leaders Internship program recently completed its summer semester for the association. The first class featured 10 interns from across the nation.

Throughout the closing weeks of the 2018 spring season, interns assisted with on-site championship coverage, ranging from event management to sports information duties. Interns received valuable experience in a variety of areas that led to receiving college credit at their respective institutions. July 26 is celebrated across the nation as National Internship Day.

Future Leaders on their experience with the NJCAA:

Adekale Ande: "This internship meant a lot to me and gave me the opportunity to gain new experience in college athletics while creating new relationships that will last a lifetime. I had an amazing time and it really opened my eyes to what the NJCAA is truly about that opportunities truly do begin here."

Ryan Coale: " It was an invaluable experience for me to have the opportunity to intern with the NJCAA. From a personal standpoint, my experience at the junior college level as a student-athlete was the highlight of my collegiate career. Therefore, having the chance to intern was very rewarding. I was not only able to build professional relationships, but personal ones as well that I feel will be long-lasting and significant. The NJCAA is led by quality individuals who truly care about the well-being of their student-atheltes. I am truly grateful to have been a part of the inaugural class."

Jessica Parente: "For me, being a part of the NJCAA internship program was an amazing experience. I loved being able to be a part of a team with the same goal of promoting the growth of the NJCAA. Being a part of this program was important to me because I was able to help contribute to an association that provides incredible opportunities to athletes all over the globe."

Keshawn Ward: "It meant a lot to me honestly. Receiving the opportunity was a blessing but being a part of the first NJCAA intern class is motivation. A motivation that shows me personally that I can help lead NJCAA to a stratosphere of excellence. Lastly, it's beneficial to add this to my resume which will help me in the future."

The first class of the NJCAA Future Leaders Internship program were:

Brandon Adams – Former NJCAA student-athlete at Genesee (NY) who is on track to graduate from Livingston College and interned with the NJCAA in a variety of roles.

Adekale Ande – Current student at Berry College who interned for the NJCAA at the 2018 DIII Baseball World Series in Greeneville, TN.

Dina Andrews – A recipient of a master's degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock who interned with the NJCAA at the recent Board of Regents meetings in Charlotte, NC.

Austin Battaglia – Texas A&M University graduate with a master's and bachelor's degree who aided in a variety of roles for the NJCAA

Ryan Coale – Former NJCAA student-athlete at Patrick Henry (VA) and baseball student-athlete at James Madison who is currently pursuing a Master's Degree from Springfield. Ryan interned with the NJCAA at the 2018 DI Baseball World Series in Grand Junction, CO.

Omar Hernandez – Current graduate student at Texas Tech who interned with the NJCAA at the recent Board of Regents meetings in Charlotte, NC.

Tye Pannela – Graduate of Texas A&M University with a master's degree and a graduate of Washington State with a bachelor's degree who interned in a variety of roles with the NJCAA

Jessica Parente – Former NJCAA student-athlete at Suffolk County (NY) and current softball student-athlete at Belmont-Abbey. Jessica interned with the NJCAA at the 2018 DIII Men's Golf Championship in Chautauqua, NY.

TJ VanRoosendaal – Graduate student at Georgetown University who interned with the NJCAA at the 2018 DI Baseball World Series in Grand Junction, CO.

Keshawn Ward – Current football student-athlete at Livingstone college and former two-year student-athlete at Los Medanos Community College (CA). Keshawn interned with the NJCAA at the recent Board of Regents meetings in Charlotte, NC.

To obtain more information on the NJCAA Future Leaders Internship Program and to apply for a fall or semester internship, visit: NJCAA Future Leaders Internship Program Homepage or contact Bryson Collins: bcollins@njcaa.org

Follow @NJCAA