ATLANTA – For the third year in a row, Bethune-Cookman is sending several members of the Office of Intercollegiate Athletics to the NFL Careers In Football Forum, as part of the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia, on December 14.
 
The Careers in Football Forum is an extension of the NFL's broader partnership with the HBCUs. Through this effort, students from participating institutions are given the opportunity to learn about preparations and skills needed to secure employment in professional football administration.
 
This year, Sandra Booker (BCU Senior Woman Administrator) helped to ensure that Jasmine Alston (Director of New Media) and Lakiah Robinson (Administrative Assistant for Football) attended the event from the Wildcats department.
 
Last year, marketing graduate assistant Bianca Cacho attended the event representing Bethune-Cookman Athletics. Now completing her second year as a graduate assistant in Marketing at BCU, and about to earn her Master's Degree, Cacho also works with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL) on game days.
 
"The Careers in Football Forum helped me a lot as I finish up school and propel into the 'real world', so to speak," said Cacho when discussing the NFL Football Forum from 2017. "The NFL provided tools like mock interviews with HR staff from the different teams in the league and we were able to gain feedback from those breakout sessions. I also had the opportunity to make connections there that helped me gain opportunities working with the NFL Pro Bowl, attending NFL Combine events and interviewing with three NFL teams. I feel that if I did not attend the conference I would have not come close to the opportunities that have lead me closer to my career goals."
 
Participants will engage in a panel discussion moderated by ESPN's LaChina Robinson. Panelists include Ese Ighedosa, Carolina Panthers Associate Counsel, Deandra Duggans, Baltimore Ravens Manager of Advertising and Branding and Tron Stamper, Atlanta Falcons Manager of Events at Mercedes Benz Stadium. The administrators will provide the students with personal accounts of their journey from college graduate to team executives.
 
"The NFL Careers in Football Forum aims to drive awareness of career opportunities and create access that may lead to employment in sport," said Troy Vincent, NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations. "This forum connects opportunity with potential. The more diversity and inclusion of people, skills and ideas, the better the game of football."
 
While at the forum, participants will also compete in a Group Case Study. The students were grouped into eight teams in November and provided individual topics to solve. Each group will present their case study to a panel of NFL and Club executives. The first and second place finishers will be recognized during a dinner reception held at the College Football Hall of Fame.
 
As a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Bethune-Cookman Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics – Lynn W. Thompson, was happy to team with Dr. Dennis Thomas (MEAC Commissioner) in this endeavor of empowering those to learn more about the NFL and future careers within the industry.
 
"Once again, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference is honored to partner with the NFL to provide opportunities for our students during the week of the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl for the third consecutive year," said Dr. Dennis E. Thomas. "Having the opportunity to network and dialogue with NFL front office, human resource and team personnel in an intimate setting is an invaluable experience which should benefit our students in their future employment opportunities."
 
Additionally, select students will win the opportunity to complete an "experienceship" at the 2019 Pro Bowl in Orlando, FL, and Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta, Georgia.
 
"The Careers in Football Forum really gives students from smaller HBCU's an opportunity to be seen and heard in a setting that is hard to come by," continued Cacho. "My experience was amazing and I would recommend it to any student looking to get their foot in the door. Being in front of NFL executives is half the battle and the Careers in Football Forum gave me and continues to give students an opportunity of a lifetime."
 
Since 2016, the NFL Careers in Football Forum has introduced more than 180 students and entry-level athletic department administrators from 23 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and Southwestern Athletic Conference institutions to career opportunities in professional football. This year's forum was extended to include students from the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association.
 
For all Bethune-Cookman Athletics news, follow us on Twitter (@BCUathletics), Instagram (@BCUathletics), Snapchat (@BCUathletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/BCUathletics).