Eight students from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill were selected as recipients of the 2026 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 $6,500 to fund individuals who seek to gain experience in the business of sports while traveling abroad and supporting the growth of a small venture. The number of annual awards and the amount of funding were both increased as a result of the fellowship’s growth and Ricky’s dedication to students’ education and development.
Since its start in 2015, the Carolina Blue Honors Fellowship has funded 30 fellows to intern for organizations in Australia, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Japan, Colombia, Belgium, England, Scotland, Greece, Singapore, Spain, Denmark, Argentina, Mexico, and South Africa in addition to one US-based experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Fellowship now adds eight dynamic students to make the number jump to 38 total fellows throughout its history.
“Each of this year’s Fellows is going to have a wonderful experience. Maybe life changing. One is headed to Hong Kong which is a first. One to New Zealand which hasn’t happened since the very first Fellow back in 2016.” says Ricky May. “Plus, favorites like South Africa, Australia, Spain and London. Just a great group of Tar Heels.”
Elias Ashe (’27) is from Canton, North Carolina and is double majoring in media and journalism and exercise and sport science and minoring in religious studies. This summer, he will travel to Sydney, Australia to intern with The Team, a global sports and entertainment agency. Eli will work with the agency’s brands and strategies department to perform market research, business development, and data analysis to offer support on consulting, programming, and developmental projects. He will also be involved with the organization’s event management department, where he will be involved in event planning and execution.
Thomas Beason (’28) is from Charlotte, North Carolina and is double majoring in economics and exercise and sport science with a minor in Spanish for the professions. For his Carolina Blue Fellowship, Thomas will travel to London, England where he will intern with rEvolution, a global sports marketing agency focused on connecting brands with fans. There, he will learn about brand partnerships and explore how to maximize visibility and revenue.
Isabella Bido (’27) is from Paramus, New Jersey and is majoring in media and journalism with a minor in Hispanic studies. This summer, she is interning with Zentro Basket, based in Madrid, Spain in their communications and marketing department, helping improve their social media presence by creating short videos and eye-catching graphics to boost engagement, particularly with Division I schools and professional teams in the United States.
Valerie Faust (’29) is a sophomore from Chicago, Illinois double majoring in sport administration and media and journalism with a focus on advertising and public relations. For her Carolina Blue Fellowship, she will travel to Melbourne, Australia, where she will intern with the Kilsyth Basketball Association. Her work will include supporting marketing and media initiatives, assisting with game-night operations, and collaborating with the senior NBL1 women’s coach to develop a strategy to attract female coaches to the club’s elite junior teams.
Keller Fraley (’27) is from Greenville, North Carolina, and is a double major in exercise and sport science and anthropology. He has played soccer his entire life and since arriving at UNC, while also having worked as a practice player for the women’s team and in soccer event management and club operations .This summer, he will be interning with Western Springs AFC in Auckland, New Zealand where he hopes to assist the club through his experiences and learn from the professional staff.
Anjini Naidu (’29) is a sophomore from Atlanta, Georgia majoring in business administration and minoring in PPE (Philosophy, Politics, and Economics). This summer, she will be interning with Young Bafana Football Club in Cape town, South Africa where she will in charge of fundraising for the organization, developing a sustainable strategy, and pursuing research and grant opportunities. Anjini will also tutor children in the classroom and coach and play soccer with them.
Sydnie Rice (’27) is from Burlington, North Carolina majoring in business administration and minoring in media and journalism with a focus on sports communication. Sydnie is greatly interested in combining her passion for sport with her knowledge of marketing. For her Carolina Blue Fellowship, Sydnie will be interning with The Team, a global sports marketing agency, in their Hong Kong, China office. There she will work on both their global partnerships teams and rotational sport clients.
Gabrielle Stevenson (’27) is from Winston-Salem, North Carolina and is majoring in business administration. This summer, she will be traveling to London, England to intern with Middlesex Cricket Club as a stadium operations and game day event management intern to further her experience as an aspiring sports game day operations professional.
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.
Read more about the Carolina Blue Honors Fellowship here.
Carolina Blue Honors Fellowship contact: Gina Difino, (919) 962-9680, Gina_Difino@unc.edu
Communications and Public Affairs: (919) 445-8555, mediarelations@unc.edu
