Two students from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill were selected as recipients of the 2023 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 12 fellows to intern for organizations in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Denmark, Argentina, and South Africa in addition to one US-based experience during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Julius Berger is a second-year student from Atlanta, GA studying both business administration and global studies with a minor in Spanish for the professions. He will use his fellowship to cover expenses in Bogota and Cartagena, Colombia while he interns with Project Beisbol, dedicated to developing sustainable baseball and softball programs for boys and girls in vulnerable communities. Julius looks forward to giving back to local communities through volunteer work and learning about how non-profit organizations work on local, regional, and international levels to accomplish their goals.
Grace Barnard is a second-year student from Raleigh, NC. She is a double major in economics and exercise and sports science. With her fellowship, Grace will be traveling to Queensland, Australia to work with RDK Sports, a global sports consulting company. For the length of her time there, Grace will work with a number of Australian and International organizations on a wide range of projects, including sport development, sport attraction, sports facility consultation, sports marketing, partnership consulting, professional development and more.
“Over the past several months I’ve enjoyed getting to know Grace and Julius” says Ricky May. “They are great young people and fit right in with the Fellows that have come before them. I’m particularly excited that they are going to very different places and doing very different activities. Julius going to Colombia and working with disadvantaged kids and Grace going to Australia to experience life in an entrepreneurial minded sports agency.”
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
