Four students from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill were selected as recipients of the 2019 Carolina Blue Honors Fellowship to pursue unique and self-initiated summer internships built around international sports entrepreneurship.
The Carolina Blue Honors Fellowship was established in 2015 with a gift from UNC-Chapel Hill alumnus Ricky May. Its purpose is to recognize ambitious undergraduate students who possess a strong work ethic and sense of adventure, and it is open to all Carolina students who meet the eligibility criteria. The fellowship provides up to $5,000 to fund individuals who seek to gain experience in the business of sports while traveling abroad and supporting the growth of a small venture.
Since its start in 2015, the Carolina Blue Honors Fellowship has funded six fellows to intern for organizations in Australia, New Zealand, Spain, and South Africa. Ricky shares, “In just four short years, we have awarded Fellowships to students working in Africa, Europe, and Australia. When we say you can Come Here, Go Anywhere we really mean it. I’m very excited for Ellie, Jack, Catherine, and Virginia, and thankful for the commitment that their host companies and the sports entrepreneurs that they will be working with have made to support the Fellowship. They will do meaningful work that will help shape their careers and have great cultural experiences that simply can’t be replicated. Having had a chance to spend significant time with each of our new Fellows, I know they will reflect the best of Carolina and make us proud.”
To be selected as a Carolina Blue Honors Fellow, an applicant must provide convincing evidence of a long-standing interest in sports and an entrepreneurial spirit through an application, recommendation letters and an interview. The proposed fellowship experience should enable students to embark on a summer internship focused on learning and working in the business of sports, with particular preference for an entrepreneurial setting.
Virginia Caudill is a third year student from Winston-Salem, NC studying sport administration with a minor in entrepreneurship. She will use her fellowship to cover expenses while she interns with Stillwater Sports in Stellenbosch, South Africa. Stillwater Sports is an event and sponsorship agency that delivers lifestyle sporting events throughout South Africa. Virginia hopes to further her professional experience in event management by learning how to attract participants through marketing and outreach. She hopes to learn how to properly execute and administer large events in a different country and culture.
Virginia, class of 2020, coaches field hockey and soccer at Culbreth Middle School and interns for The Rams Club.
Catherine Hayden is a fourth-year student from Greenwich, Connecticut studying public relations and sports journalism at UNC’s school of Media and Journalism. Catherine will use her fellowship experience to advance her interests in a region where field hockey is a leading sport and there is an opportunity for creative development in the public relations industry. She will travel to Johannesburg, South Africa to work with Levergy, a sport and entertainment PR agency that delivers high-impact creative ideas to some of the world’s biggest brands. Catherine hopes to develop knowledge about the intersection of sports and business and understand how sport can enfranchise brands.
Catherine, class of 2019, is a member of the UNC national champion field hockey team, participates in the Richard A. Baddour Leadership Academy, and coaches young women at the Carolina All-Stars Field Hockey Club.
Jack Jameson is a second-year student from New York, NY studying sport administration and minoring in entrepreneurship and urban studies and planning. He will use the fellowship funding to cover his expenses while he interns at Rovo in Singapore. Rovo is a startup app that helps people organize games and find opponents to play sports with. Jack will be working to help expand Rovo’s basketball business throughout Malaysia and the Philippines along with managing their social media and website. He hopes to gain meaningful work experience at a rapidly growing startup while also being able to travel throughout Southeast Asia.
Ellie Rudd is a third year student from Brevard, NC studying sport administration and sociology. She plans to use the fellowship to cover her expenses while she interns for Playmakers in Johannesburg, South Africa. Playmakers is a sponsorship management consultancy that attempts to creatively market brands through campaigns and events to the South African community. Ellie hopes to learn more about the sport business world and the different cultures of South Africa.
Ellie, class of 2020, is a manager for the UNC football team and works as a research assistant in the Sport Administration department.
Read more about the Carolina Blue Honors Fellowship here.
Carolina Blue Honors Fellowship contact: Gina Difino, (919) 962-9680, Gina_Difino@unc.edu
