Tar Heels Gain From Nike Summer Experience

UNC student-athletes get plenty of exposure to Nike during the school year, as the brand provides gear for all 28 of Carolina's varsity teams. But two Tar Heels – Luke Ciocca and Lauren Moody – got behind-the-scenes looks last summer as part of the Nike Summer Internship Program, centered at the company headquarters in Beaverton, Ore.

Ciocca and Moody were selected following a competitive interview process that took place over the winter of 2016. They're the latest in a long line of UNC student-athletes to intern with Nike. The company's contract with Carolina Athletics includes two summer internship spots each year for qualified student-athletes, and each year the competition is fierce.

"We appreciate that Nike's support of our student-athletes goes far beyond their apparel and equipment," UNC Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham said. "The opportunity to intern with Nike is priceless for a college student, and we're really proud that each year we have Tar Heel students who get that chance."

Moody, a senior from Asheville, N.C., is a member of the women's cross country and track & field teams and is majoring in journalism. She interned in the copy department within Global Sales, writing about the innovations and technologies behind upcoming product releases. Her intern group (composed of 12 fellow interns) won the intern combine project and presented its work in front of a group of more than 250 Nike employees, enhancing an experience that more than lived up to her already-high expectations.

"With its iconic brand image and company history, Nike has been my dream job for as long as I can remember," Moody said.

Ciocca, a senior from Chapel Hill, is a member of the men's soccer team and is majoring in business administration. He interned with the brand marketing for Global Football (aka soccer). "The great team I worked with at Nike allowed me to work creatively on activation strategies, building comprehensive marketing decks, and working with a number of different departments," he said. "In addition to some of the unique projects I was able to support and lead, Nike, and especially Brand Marketing, helped me develop a distinct leadership style as well as creativity."

Attesting to the value of the opportunity, the Nike Internship was recently ranked No. 11 on Forbes Magazine's list of Most Prestigious Internships for 2018.

"Nike was always a company I wanted to work with," Ciocca said. "Growing up around Chapel Hill, you see so much Nike. To work for the best of the best and be able to see how it's done on more of a business side level rather than just the clothing and apparel side is something I couldn't have asked for in any other place."

Tar Heels who have held the position in the past prove to be invaluable contacts for those seeking to earn the internship in the future, and Chris Madaffari is an outstanding example of that. A former member of UNC's cross country and track & field teams, he spent two summers interning in Beaverton and then joined the company full-time after he graduated from North Carolina in December of 2016. "Chris was incredibly helpful and resourceful during my pursuit of the internship," Moody said. "I think that is what is special about the Carolina family. Alumni and professors are so willing to go out on a limb for you, whether that's networking or giving advice."

Ciocca and Moody recently found themselves on the other side of the Nike process, manning a table at the UNC Student-Athlete Majors/Minors/Programs Fair on Oct. 10 to talk with student-athletes about the Nike program and the selection process. This year's process gets underway in November. (UNC student-athletes who would like more information about the internship should contact Dana Gelin at dgelin@unc.edu.)

"Both Nike and UNC have an endless passion for exceeding limits and innovation for the future, which is what makes their partnership so valuable," Moody said. "They also value the hard work it has taken to reach the places and accolades they are at now. When people think of Nike, they think of greatness and there is no better company that could represent our outstanding school."

University of North Carolina Athletics

Related News

Players Mentioned

Luke Ciocca

Chris Madaffari

Lauren Moody

Related Videos