University of North Carolina Athletics
UNC's Chelsea Thorpe, Maria Gakdeng and Olivia Thomas (L to R) at the Black Student-Athlete Summit
Tar Heels Travel To L.A. For Black Student-Athlete Summit
May 29, 2024 | Football, Women's Basketball, Women's Soccer, Volleyball, Swimming & Diving, Student-Athlete Development
Five Tar Heel student-athletes recently represented UNC as part of the Black Student-Athlete Summit, hosted by the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
Maria Gakdeng (women's basketball), Tiesyn Harris (men's swimming & diving), J.J. Jones (football), Chelsea Thorpe (volleyball) and Olivia Thomas (women's soccer) attended the three-day summit on behalf of Carolina, joining student-athletes from across the country for the May 23-26 event.
"It was an awesome experience to network with Black professionals and interact with other Black student-athletes," Thorpe said. "There was always so much love and power in each room."
During a packed schedule of sessions, student-athletes learned about such topics as investing, social media, the future of DEI, personal branding, and mindfulness. Panelist ranged from current student-athletes to Olympians to industry leaders.
The summit also included a Pro Day networking event with representatives from a wide range of career fields including tech, real estate, apparel, law, entertainment and entrepreneurship.
"This was such an educational adventure for our student-athletes," said Senior Associate Athletic Director Cricket Lane, who accompanied the group along with Student-Athlete Development Assistant Director Briana Singleton. "They were able to interact and share experiences with so many student-athletes who looked like them, learn from and network with Black industry professionals, and, of course, explore L.A."
Maria Gakdeng (women's basketball), Tiesyn Harris (men's swimming & diving), J.J. Jones (football), Chelsea Thorpe (volleyball) and Olivia Thomas (women's soccer) attended the three-day summit on behalf of Carolina, joining student-athletes from across the country for the May 23-26 event.
"It was an awesome experience to network with Black professionals and interact with other Black student-athletes," Thorpe said. "There was always so much love and power in each room."
During a packed schedule of sessions, student-athletes learned about such topics as investing, social media, the future of DEI, personal branding, and mindfulness. Panelist ranged from current student-athletes to Olympians to industry leaders.
The summit also included a Pro Day networking event with representatives from a wide range of career fields including tech, real estate, apparel, law, entertainment and entrepreneurship.
"This was such an educational adventure for our student-athletes," said Senior Associate Athletic Director Cricket Lane, who accompanied the group along with Student-Athlete Development Assistant Director Briana Singleton. "They were able to interact and share experiences with so many student-athletes who looked like them, learn from and network with Black industry professionals, and, of course, explore L.A."
Players Mentioned
F/C
/ Women's Basketball
Free
/ Swimming & Diving
Wide Receiver
/ Football
Forward
/ Women's Soccer
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