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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.
MEET THE FELLOWS
ABBIE HUEY
Georgetown University
Women's Track and Field & Cross Country
Class of 2027
AMYAH SANTANA
University of Rhode Island
Women's Track and Field & Cross Country
Class of 2024 - Grad Student
CAMERON Shockley-Okeke
Howard University
Men's Basketball
Class of 2023 - Grad Student
DANI THOMPSON
Florida State University
Women's Track and Field & Cross Country
Class of 2025
Derionah Abner
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Women's Volleyball
Class of 2025
Gracie Bolick
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
Women's Track and Field
Class of 2026
Kosi Umerah
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
Women's Track and Field
Class of 2026
MAEVE STILES
University of Washington
Women's Track and Field & Cross Country
Class of 2026
SYDNEY HUMES
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Women's Volleyball
Class of 2027
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.
2023-2024 FELLOW PROJECTS
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."
