Motivation
Less than two percent of college athletes go on to play their sport professionally, meaning the vast majority of student athletes must learn to apply their invaluable work ethic and skills gained from sports to their next career. Unfortunately, student-athletes can be limited in professional development opportunities, especially in healthcare, due to their busy schedules, insufficient or lack of compensation, or misalignment with the student’s field of interest.
Approach
We partnered with the University of Washington Athletic Department to create The Sports Institute Husky Fellowship, an internship program that offers student-athletes a unique and diverse internship experience at the intersection of healthcare, sports, business, and technology.
The Husky Fellowship is a two-quarter, paid internship experience that culminates with a capstone presentation to TSI faculty and UW Athletics leadership. A flexible, remote work environment makes the Husky Fellowship an accessible internship for all student-athletes.
Key Components of The Husky Fellowship:
- Working directly with TSI faculty and core team to advance mission of The Sports Institute
- Exploring new areas of interest
- Learning intricacies of healthcare, sports, and physical activity
- Connecting with TSI faculty and other professionals in their network
The Result
The Husky Fellowship meets an important need by providing student-athletes with meaningful and diverse experiences that align with their academic and professional goals and explore potentially new areas of interest.
Next Fellowship Cycle: Winter – Spring 2024
Application Opens: October 10, 2023
Applications Closes: December 16, 2023
If you’d like to learn more about the Husky Fellowship program or be notified when the application is open, please reach out to The Sports Institute Program Coordinator, David Bridges ([email protected]).
Past and Current Fellows
Tess Kadian, Men’s Rowing, Journalism
Anay Nagarajan, Football, Public Health & Philosophy
Yolanda Lin, Women’s Tennis, Psychology
Melany Smart, Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country, Psychology
Ashley Chang, Women’s Tennis, Business (Finance)
MaKayla Kelby, Women’s Track & Field, Food Systems and Nutrition
Wenyan Ma, Women’s Golf, Food Systems and Nutrition
David Bridges, Men’s Rowing, Biology
Taylor Sekyra, Women’s Soccer, Biology
Testimonials
Career Development off the Court
Program Helps UW Athletes Find Fulfilling Careers
Husky Fellowship Alum Melany Smart speaks about her experiences in the program (Video)