Nearly 300 Student-Athletes Participate in Wave Summer Institute
Aug 18, 2023 | General, SAAC
This program was developed as an opportunity for Tulane student-athletes to enhance their career preparedness for life after collegiate athletics whether that be through professional sports or in the working world. Since career development is such an important part of preparation for life after college this programming was run in the summer to ensure that adequate and necessary time was devoted to this while the student-athletes are not maintaining a full-time course load and participating in their competitive seasons.
The program was for rising sophomore, juniors, seniors, super seniors, and graduate Tulane student-athletes. All incoming transfers were also included in the program."Every day that I get to come to work, I am reminded why I do what I do. Our Athletic Department has some of the best student-athletes in the country. They expect excellence in everything that they do, and I am humbled to be able to help them develop both, personally and professionally. This program is simply another example of the work that our student-athletes put in to become the best they can be in all facets of life. To all hiring managers and professional entities, I can say with confidence that you won't go wrong hiring a Tulane student-athlete!"
– Dr. Jada Buckner, Assistant Athletic Director, Student-Athlete Enhancement
"This session was definitely beneficial for me. Being that I am currently a graduate student and on track to graduate in the spring, knowing how to conduct myself in an interview is definitely crucial. This definitely will guide me in the future." – Prince Pines, Football
The focus of the program was a confidence-building, pragmatic approach to creating relationships with professionals to explore career paths and options, develop internal advocates and mentors, and be invited to interviews for internships and jobs in the hidden job market."I think the greatest takeaway that I had from this session was how important it is to be proactive in your path of finding a job. They talked about setting up informational interviews and how you can get a feel for the company if it would be a good fit. I think I will use these tips in how I will go about looking for a job in the future." – Carter Benbrook, Baseball
Student-athletes participating in the program completed virtual career courses earing themselves certifications and attended career development sessions that centered on mock interviews, resumes and cover letters, career exploration, and job search skills."I wanted to say thank you for putting together these educational sessions. Small story: I decided to update my LinkedIn profile yesterday and, after listening about the importance of networking, decided to contact my previous professor. I got a co-authoring invitation for the research paper in the next five hours. Thank you so much!" – Sofiia Druchyna, Bowling
"I found the videos very helpful and I'm grateful you push us to be successful even after our time at Tulane is over!" – Irina Parau, Women's Basketball
At Tulane, the Athletic Department believes whole-heartedly in providing the best experience possible for its student-athletes and part of that is ensuring that they are developed holistically and especially prepared for the professional world. The public often gets to know the student-athletes solely through athletic competitions and so this program is also an opportunity for them to showcase the vast range of their skill sets which includes their professional competencies.
