University of North Carolina Athletics
Career Symposium Helps Field Hockey Players Look Ahead
October 30, 2014 | Field Hockey, Student-Athlete Development
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - When you're a college student, it can be challenging to picture your life five, 10 or 20 years in the future. The UNC field hockey team got help in doing that recently, when six program alumnae returned to campus to speak to the team about the career paths they've taken and offer advice.
The 2014 Carolina Field Hockey Career Symposium took place on the morning of Oct. 26 in the Memorabilia Room at the Dean E. Smith Center. After chatting with the alums casually over breakfast, which doubled as the pregame meal for that afternoon's game against Pacific, the 26 student-athletes on Carolina's top-ranked team settled in for an hour of discussion about career paths. The conversation covered a wide range of topics, including choosing a major, maximizing the time at UNC and what to do (and what not to do) in a job interview. The alums shared their insights and also answered questions from the current Tar Heels.
"I thought the event was the one of the most helpful things I've been a part of on campus," junior Casey Di Nardo said. "It was especially helpful to see athletes that have been in your shoes and even competed at the Olympic level but still been able to have internships and then go on to success in their careers. It was great to hear from them about their experiences and see real-life examples of what people have gone on to do."
Alums who participated in the Career Symposium were:
Maryellen Falcone (1984-87): Worked in parks and rec for 10 years and is now a nurse
Riley Foster Gaines (2006-09): Studying for her doctorate in nurse anesthesia at Duke
Louise Hines (1982-85): Assistant Vice President for Sports Marketing at MassMutual Financial Group
Leslie Lyness (1986-89): Surgeon (Neurological Surgery, Spine Surgery)
Meghan Lyons (2010-13): Marketing strategist at Google, specializing in sports partnerships
Kate Sidebottom Simpson (1997-2000): Career in finance, currently with TrueBridge Capital Partners
While at UNC, each of the alums was a member of at least one championship team - NCAA or Atlantic Coast Conference, or both. Now in her 34th year at UNC, Karen Shelton coached everyone who was part of the panel.
"I'm so appreciative of our alums and their desire to give back to the program," Shelton said. "They're great examples for our current student-athletes and I'm so proud of all they've accomplished since earning their UNC degrees.
"I think most students don't realize how quickly college is going to go by. Our seniors realize that now, but we want our freshmen to be thinking ahead, too. We want to be sure they leave UNC well-prepared for whatever career field they choose, and part of that is thinking about internships and other ways they can be planning for the future."
This is the third time the field hockey program has offered this event, and the idea originally came out of a conversation between Hines and Shelton.
"The idea behind our Career Symposium is two-fold," Hines said. "It supports these young student-athletes as they begin to navigate through their careers - choosing a major, launching a career path, etc. At the same time, the Symposium provides our alums the opportunity to return to campus and give something back to the school and athletic program that has provided so much for us."
The alums spent the weekend in Chapel Hill, attending two field hockey games - the Tar Heels beat Wake Forest on Saturday to claim a share of the regular-season conference crown then celebrated Senior Day Sunday with a shutout of Pacific - and spending time around the program.
"Each panelist has been in the student-athletes' shoes, so we understand what it's like to have to balance the workload in the classroom and on the field," Hines said. "I think all the panelists would agree that it's very rewarding to be able to return as alums and provide some of our insights, share experiences from our various fields and support this current generation of players as they launch their own careers."
