Two students from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill were selected as recipients of the 2018 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 allowed four fellows to intern for organizations in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Ricky shares, “This will be our third year of sending Carolina Blue Honors Fellows into the world of sports entrepreneurship. There have been some constants through the years. Anna Grace and James are joining the Fellows that have come before them in representing Carolina in the best possible ways. And they will be working for host companies that offer once in a lifetime opportunities. James will work with a very early stage company developing sports apps focused on soccer. True entrepreneurship. Anna Grace will be working with a more established business that provides education and sports training for athletes with an emphasis on science, medicine and technology. I know they both will have a huge impact on the companies they will work for and the communities they will live in this coming summer.”
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.
Anna Grace Kelley, a second-year student from Chapel Hill, NC, is studying Business Administration at Kenan-Flagler Business School and minoring in entrepreneurship and coaching education. She will use the fellowship to cover her expenses while she interns at Centre d’Alt Rendiment (CAR) in Sant Cugat, Barcelona, Spain. CAR is working to revolutionize the way athletes train through the use of new technology, science and research and educational programs. She hopes to gain a greater understanding of the business operations side of sports and make a significant impact at CAR during her time there this summer.
At UNC, Anna Grace, class of 2020, is the head manager of the Varsity Women’s Basketball Team and is involved in student government, the Sports Business Club and the Carolina Women in Business Club.
James Tatter is a third-year student from Winston-Salem, NC studying history and economics. He will use the fellowship cover his expenses for travel to Barcelona, Spain, where he will work with 9inesports, a sports media startup. 9inesports is a platform that seeks to integrate access to sports content such as news, videos and statistics with a social media platform that connects sports fans with each other, their favorite teams, and other brands associated with the sports industry. James hopes to use the experience to grow his understanding of how sports and business meaningfully interact and to gain experience living and working abroad in the heart of Barcelona.
James, class of 2019, is an assistant sports editor for the Daily Tar Heel and runs cross country and track for the UNC Club team.
Read more about the Carolina Blue Honors Fellowship here.
