Engaged Athlete Fellowship


In partnership with the Bridge Alliance Education Fund

The Engaged Athlete Fellowship empowers a diverse class of motivated student athletes to strengthen nonpartisan civic participation on their teams, their campuses, and their broader communities. From August 2024-June 2025 this selected cohort of Engaged Student Athletes Fellows works closely with esteemed mentors, established coaches, professional athletes, and The Team to execute a year-long community service project of their own creation.  Through the program and projects, these athletes will harness the power of athletics to build great teammates, engaged citizens, and committed community members.


Applications for the 2025-2026 cohort will open spring/summer 2025.



MEET THE 2024-2025 FELLOWSHIP CLASS

The Engaged Athlete Fellowship focuses on the following three elements:


  • Leadership and professional development curriculum developed by esteemed professors, coaches, professional athletes, and civic leaders.
  • A $3,000 personal stipend and $1,000 stipend to be applied towards a year-long civic project.
  • Multi-day sponsored experience in Washington, DC to meet other fellows, participate in workshops, network with sports/business/civic leaders, and present their project work from the year.

Fellows are expected to:

  • Create and execute a year-long project connecting civic engagement and athletics working closely with their assigned Fellowship Advisor
  • Join 4 virtual meetings per semester with the entire fellowship cohort, including a professional development series
  • Participate in an All Vote No Play Day event on their respective campus
  • Attend a year-end multi-day sponsored experience in Washington, DC to meet other fellows, participate in workshops, network with sports/business/civic leaders, and present their project work from the year

The program will run from August 2024-June 2025. Fellows will:


  • Recieve a  $3,000 personal stipend and $1,000 stipend to be applied towards year-long project
  • Fellows will attend a year-end multi-day sponsored experience in Washington, DC with other student athletes in the program
  • Participate in professional development and networking opportunities is central to fellowship programming
  • Please reach out to us at info@theteam.org with any questions.

As part of the program, Fellows will be expected to complete a year-long project connecting civic engagement and sports. We encourage our athletes to dream big!


Examples of past student athlete led civic projects include:


  • Sam Beskind, a basketball player from the Colorado School of Mines, planned and executed a student athlete-led zoom call with nearly 2,000 participants where he invited speakers Stephen Curry and Condoleezza Rice.

  • Athletes from St. Francis University organized a civic team conversation and watch party surrounding our Fall Webinar, and followed it up with multiple voter registration drives on the quad with their team mascot.

  • Stanford University has an annual “Democracy Day” where athletes, coaches, and administrators gather on Election Day to celebrate with food, music, service work, and hearing from inspiring civic speakers.

  • Rising sophomores, juniors, seniors, and graduate students playing a sport at a DI, DII, DIII, NAIA or community college. This opportunity is open to international student athletes as well. (Please reach out to ask about exceptions)
  • You must commit to stay strictly nonpartisan in all communication in relation to The Team.

This position is ideal for someone who is excited about civic engagement and how athletic involvement in civic work is important for the future of our democracy.

We welcome applicants from a broad range of backgrounds and experience levels. We’re looking for someone who is:

  • Interested in the intersection between civic education and athletics. This interest could be demonstrated through academic coursework, work or internship experience, volunteer work, or other lived experiences.
  • Eager to take on leadership roles on their team, their campus, and their community.
  • Passionate about the mission and vision of The Team.
  • Looking to build community across schools, sports, and conferences.
  • Excited to build new leadership skills through an applied, integrated program that builds on the positive attributes of being a student athlete.

2024-2025 applications are now closed.


If you have any questions, please email info@theteam.org. Learn more about our story at theteam.org/our-story



MEET THE FELLOWS

ABBEY COOK

University of Pennsylvania

Women's Soccer

Class of 2027

View Abbey's project

ABBIE HUEY

Georgetown University

Women's Track and Field & Cross Country

Class of 2027

View Abbie's project

AMYAH SANTANA

University of Rhode Island

Women's Track and Field & Cross Country

Class of 2024 - Grad Student

View Amyah's project

ANTHONY Manzanares

Shepherd University

Men's Soccer

Class of 2027

View Anthony's project

AVA EARL

Northwestern University

Women's Cross Country

Class of 2025

View Ava's project

CAM MANNION

Stonehill College

Men's Hockey

Class of 2025

View Cam's project

CAMDYN PECK

Elizabeth City State University

Softball

Class of 2026

View Camdyn's project

CAMERON Shockley-Okeke

Howard University

Men's Basketball

Class of 2023 - Grad Student

View Cameron's project

CELIA WATSON

Princeton University

Women's Rugby

Class of 2027

View Celia's project

Christopher Clarke

Clark University

Men's Basketball

Class of 2027

View Christopher's project

DANI THOMPSON

Florida State University

Women's Track and Field & Cross Country

Class of 2025

View Dani's project

DANJA COLLINS

Utah Valley University

Women's Basketball

Class of 2025

View Danja's project

Derionah Abner

University of Maryland Eastern Shore

Women's Volleyball

Class of 2025

View Derionah's project

ELLA SHAPIRO

University of South Florida

Women's Soccer

Class of 2025

View Ella's project

EMILY O'NEIL

University of Puget Sound

Women's Soccer

Class of 2025

View Emily's project

FADIMA TALL

Princeton University

Women's Basketball

Class of 2027

View Fadima's project

HELENA Eubanks

Virginia State University

Women's Volleyball

Class of 2025

View Helena's project

Jeremy Henderson

Cornell University

Men's Track and Field

Class of 2027

View Jeremy's project

Joshua Townley-Thomas

Creighton University

Men's Basketball

Class of 2026

View Joshua's project

Jumai Muhammed

Clark Atlanta University

Women's Tennis

Class of 2025

View Jumai's project

Gracie Bolick

University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

Women's Track and Field

Class of 2026

View Gracie's project

KATHERINE RUSSEL

College of the Holy Cross

Women's Volleyball

Class of 2026

View Katherine's project

Khalif Welch

Bowie State University
Football

Class of 2025

View Khalif's project

Kosi Umerah

University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

Women's Track and Field

Class of 2026

View Kosi's project

LEAH CAREY

Brown University

Softball

Class of 2025

View Leah's project

LYDIA FARR

Duke University
Dance

Class of 2027

View Lydia's project

MAEVE STILES

University of Washington

Women's Track and Field & Cross Country

Class of 2026

View Maeve's project

Mounir Hima

Howard University

Men's Basketball

Class of 2026

View Mounir's project

Oladapo Salimonu

Norfolk State University
Football

Class of 2025

View Oladapo's project

Philipp Roeder

Southern New Hampshire University

Men's Tennis

Class of 2025

View Philipp's project

sydney smith

Northwestern University

Women's Swimming and Diving

Class of 2027

View Sydeny's project

Ria Chhina

University of Virginia
Field Hockey

Class of 2027

View Ria's project

Santana Spearman

Vanderbilt University

Women's Track and Field

Class of 2026

View Santana's project

Sebastian Docters

Duke University

Men's Soccer

Class of 2025

View Sebastian's project

Stanley Borden

Duke University
Men's Basketball

Class of 2025

View Stanley's project

SYDNEY HUMES

Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University

Women's Volleyball

Class of 2027

View Sydney's project

William Duncanson

Tufts University
Football

Class of 2025

View William's project

Xavier Nesbitt

Harvard University

Men's Basketball

Class of 2027

View Xavier's project

Are you a student athlete that is interested in becoming a fellow? Fill out this form and we will send you a notification when our application becomes live. 

Interest Form


2023-2024 FELLOW PROJECTS



Meet the 2023-2024 Fellowship Alumni

Elise planned and moderated an event featuring the CEO of RISE, Diahann Billings-Burford who is most known for her advancements in race relationships in collegiate sports.  The event was attended by over 75 Cal student athletes who were provided food and drink for their participation.

ELISE BYUN

CAL BEREKLEY

At Creighton, Sami has planned a series of civic engagement table talks that are underway!  Sami’s events focus on registering students to vote and helping them understand the importance of exercising your right to vote.

sami osmani

Creighton

In an effort to fight local youth food insecurity in Worcester, MA, Caleb is administering a several month long food drive at Holy Cross sporting events and on campus more broadly.  Caleb will drop off meals and bags of food weekly to local elementary schools.

caleb kenney

holy cross

Emily has started a community service competition across Vanderbilt athletics.  Her initiative is being run through the Helper Helper app on which Vanderbilt athletes can log their volunteer hours.  The most engaged athletes will be recognized at a spring awards ceremony!

EMily GAven

Vanderbilt

Josue moderated and planned a student-athlete civic engagement panel at Stanford’s annual Democracy Day event.  As event goers enjoyed food and drink provided by The Team, keynote speaker Andrew Luck delivered words on his experience being an engaged athlete at the highest level.

Josue Gil-Silva

Stanford

Katey’s project, “athlete day on the hill,” gives athletes the opportunity to visit local lawmakers and advocate for a cause about which they are passionate.  Leading up to athlete day on the hill are a series of educational meetings which are underway to prepare the athletes for their conversations.

katey parham

vanderbilt

"The most powerful thing we can do is lead by example. When I spoke at City Hall and got introduced as the Penn Volleyball Captain, I could see how excited the young girls in the front row were. To have the opportunity to speak about why I care about civic engagement, which is for them, and to see their faces in the audience having that positive of a reaction, was really powerful."

Elizabeth Ford

Penn Volleyball Captain,

Program Manager, The Team

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