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 2026-June 2027 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.


MEET THE 2026-2027 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 2026-June 2027. Fellows will:


  • Recieve a  $3,000 personal stipend and a stipend up to $1,000 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.

Applications for The Engaged Athlete Fellowship are now closed.


If you have any questions, please email info@theteam.org. 


MEET THE FELLOWS 2026-2027

AJONI DOUGLAS

Alabama State University

Women's Flag Football

Class of 2028

ANIYA HILL

University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Women's Track and Field & Cross Country

Class of 2027

Anna Chittenden

Princeton University

Women's Track and Field & Cross Country

Class of 2027

Autumn Burrell

Norfolk State University

Women's Track and Field & Cross Country

Class of 2027

Bailey Kendziorski

Boston College

Women's Softball

Class of 2028

Bamidele Aina

Howard University

Men's Diving

Class of 2028

Ben Eisendrath

Harvard University

Men's Basketball

Class of 2028

Blake Jackson

Emory University

Men'sTrack and Field & Cross Country

Class of 2027

Bridget McLaughlin

UCLA

Women's Rowing

Class of 2027

BROOKE SUTTLE

University of Pennsylvania

Women's Basketball

Class of 2028

CARTER MAGNANO

MIT

Men's Lacrosse

Class of 2029

Charlotte Patel

Pomona College

Women's Basketball

Class of 2028

Coraline Haggarty

University of Michigan

Women's Track and Field & Cross Country

Class of 2028

Dajah fuller-williams

Florida A&M University

Women's Volleyball

Class of 2028

David Hussey

Duke University

Men's Wrestling

Class of 2027

Dylan Hunt

Yale University

Men's Ice Hockey

Class of 2029

Emily Kantner

Duke University

Women's Swimming

Class of 2027

Italo addimandi

Northwestern University

Men's Soccer

Class of 2027

Jaden Williams

University of Hawaii Hilo

Men's Tennis

Class of 2027

Jordan Adeyemi

Clark University

Men's Soccer

Class of 2028

Jude killikelly

Hampton University

Men's Tennis

Class of 2028

Judy Gao

Princeton University
Women's Fencing

Class of 2027

Juliana Osterman

Boston University

Women's Soccer

Class of 2028

Kyra Bradford

University of Maryland Eastern Shore

Women's Volleyball

Class of 2028

Leo Brummel

University of Notre Dame
Men's Soccer

Class of 2027

LilA PAUL

University of Pennsylvania

Women's Fencing

Class of 2029

LINDSAY JOHNSON

Howard University

Women's Track and Field/Cross Country

Class of 2028

LINDSEY MINOR

Temple University
Women's Fencing

Class of 2027

MADISON CIGNA

Stony Brook University

Women's Volleyball

Class of 2027

MATTHEW HE

Columbia University

Men's Fencing

Class of 2028

MORGAN PRUITT

Hampton University
Women's Track and Field/Cross Country

Class of 2027

NATE ESCALADA

UC Berkeley

Men's Football

Class of 2027

NOE BOM

Rhode Island College

Men's Basketball

Class of 2029

RENN CORLEY

Claremont McKenna College
Women's Track and Field/Cross Country

Class of 2028

ROBERT SALHAB III

Jackson State University

Men's Track and Field/Cross Country

Class of 2027

Savannah Stover

Norfolk State University

Women's Softball & Bowling

Class of 2027

Thomas Worth

Claremont McKenna College
Men's Baseball

Class of 2027

Vaughn DeRath

University of Chicago

Men's Soccer

Class of 2029



MEET OUR ALUMNI


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

"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