Northwestern University Athletics
NU First Big Ten School to Host espnW Campus Conversations
4/20/2017 9:54:00 AM | General, David G. Kabiller NU for Life Program
EVANSTON, Ill. — Northwestern and espnW joined forces Monday to host a Campus Conversations session for female student-athletes on the shift to personal and professional life after college sports.
The discussion was led by ESPN host Sarah Spain at the McCormick Foundation Center. She was joined on-stage by Northwestern alumnae Chinazo Cunningham '90 (softball), Marisa Bast '14 (softball), Christine Brennan '80, (USA TODAY columnist), and Katrina Adams '89 (women's tennis).
Much of the conversation — billed as "The Great Pivot" — reflected on leveraging the student-athlete experience to different types of post-graduate experience.
"Don't be afraid to show signs of weakness," said Adams, the president of the United States Tennis Association (USTA). "If you aren't afraid to show signs of weakness, that's a sign of strength."
After the hour-long panel discussion, the female student-athletes split up into breakout sessions, with topics ranging from "Wildcat Success Stories" (featuring women's basketball/women's soccer alum Lisa Byington '99, Adams, and Brennan) to "Leveraging Your Athletic Experience in a Professional Setting" (with women's swimming and diving alum Mary Kate Campbell '14, lacrosse alum Kristen Kjellman Marshall '07, and Bast).
The espnW Campus Conversations program leads discussions on the role of women in sports and media on college campuses nationwide. Northwestern was the first Big Ten institution to host.
Panelists were able to relay lessons learned from their careers and key pieces of advice for the student-athletes in attendance.
"It's okay to say no to things, especially when you're a Northwestern student athlete," said Bast, currently a senior analyst at CME Group in Chicago. "Prioritization is key to help yourself improve in other areas."
Brennan spoke to ensuring that student-athletes kept their confidence.
"It's not easy," she said. "There's a lot of pressure out there. It's okay to be nervous. It's okay to feel pressure. You belong here, you're good enough."
With the female student-athletes in attendance in varying stages of their collegiate career, Cunningham issued a directive for finding the right path to take after graduation.
"They key thing is to do what you're passionate about, but see where the opportunities are and allow yourself to explore those opportunities," said the associate chief of the division of general internal medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
The Campus Conversation event was supported by NU for Life, the athletic department's career enhancement and employer engagement department. This program fits within the larger goal of preparing student-athletes for a successful life after college.
The discussion was led by ESPN host Sarah Spain at the McCormick Foundation Center. She was joined on-stage by Northwestern alumnae Chinazo Cunningham '90 (softball), Marisa Bast '14 (softball), Christine Brennan '80, (USA TODAY columnist), and Katrina Adams '89 (women's tennis).
Much of the conversation — billed as "The Great Pivot" — reflected on leveraging the student-athlete experience to different types of post-graduate experience.
"Don't be afraid to show signs of weakness," said Adams, the president of the United States Tennis Association (USTA). "If you aren't afraid to show signs of weakness, that's a sign of strength."
After the hour-long panel discussion, the female student-athletes split up into breakout sessions, with topics ranging from "Wildcat Success Stories" (featuring women's basketball/women's soccer alum Lisa Byington '99, Adams, and Brennan) to "Leveraging Your Athletic Experience in a Professional Setting" (with women's swimming and diving alum Mary Kate Campbell '14, lacrosse alum Kristen Kjellman Marshall '07, and Bast).
The espnW Campus Conversations program leads discussions on the role of women in sports and media on college campuses nationwide. Northwestern was the first Big Ten institution to host.
Panelists were able to relay lessons learned from their careers and key pieces of advice for the student-athletes in attendance.
"It's okay to say no to things, especially when you're a Northwestern student athlete," said Bast, currently a senior analyst at CME Group in Chicago. "Prioritization is key to help yourself improve in other areas."
Brennan spoke to ensuring that student-athletes kept their confidence.
"It's not easy," she said. "There's a lot of pressure out there. It's okay to be nervous. It's okay to feel pressure. You belong here, you're good enough."
With the female student-athletes in attendance in varying stages of their collegiate career, Cunningham issued a directive for finding the right path to take after graduation.
"They key thing is to do what you're passionate about, but see where the opportunities are and allow yourself to explore those opportunities," said the associate chief of the division of general internal medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
The Campus Conversation event was supported by NU for Life, the athletic department's career enhancement and employer engagement department. This program fits within the larger goal of preparing student-athletes for a successful life after college.
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