Networking and Job Planning for OSU University student-Athletes
STILLWATER – The University student-Athlete Leadership and Expert Development office not long ago hosted a networking event for Oklahoma State pupil athletes in Boone Pickens Stadium.
“This student-athlete networking celebration was intended for area businesses to arrive in and community with our college student athletes,” job coordinator Lerin Lynch mentioned. “This encounter enables our athletes to attain experienced networking practical experience and get some suggestions and tips from individuals in just the field.”

Scholar athletes who attended were capable to take a experienced headshot with outfits provided by William & Lauren. In addition, they were being capable to mingle with businesses from 12 diverse companies this sort of as Joe Cheek of Williams who had been willing to support out the Cowboys and Cowgirls in any way possible.
“I just want to be in this article for them and assist them out,” Cheek explained. “I’ve already spoken to a few various pupil-athletes and some are genuinely great communicators who have it nailed down and there are some other folks who are having difficulties a little little bit. I believe it is really excellent to be capable to be right here, converse to them and communicate about what their wishes are and exactly where they want to go with their occupations.”
For the student athletes, the event provided an chance to complete various ambitions centered on their stage of consolation and expertise in a qualified location.
“Acquiring these very little functions where we are equipped to network will support us in the long term,” Cowgirl soccer participant Ary Purifoy reported. “My profession is sports management, so with any luck , I can get in call with some folks that will aid me toward my conclusion objectives.”
Whilst Purifoy and some have been looking for possible connections to start out advancing their occupations, numerous other individuals used the time as a likelihood to action outside the house of their comfort zone.
“It is really a good chance for me because I have not been set in too several of these situations,” wrestler Travis Wittlake said. “Honestly, I have never ever been to the career honest or nearly anything, so this is variety of my to start with time undertaking some thing like this and it can be anything I surely will need to expose myself to.”
Getting a student athlete at OSU currently puts the Cowboys and Cowgirls at an edge in a lot of of the employers’ eyes. David Chaney attended the party due to the fact he has employed several OSU athletes in his time at Legacy Preparing Associates that he identified as “wonderful additions” to the business.
“Our organization will work as a team, so when you know an athlete is type of meant to be on a staff aspect then it makes a big difference,” Chaney claimed. “The work ethic they have been employed to their whole lives to reach their objectives bleeds above into the authentic earth and it is difficult to locate that.”
A new office for Oklahoma Point out athletics, Lynch and four other individuals operate to established up Cowboys and Cowgirls with the competencies needed to grow to be leaders in their industries next graduation by way of functions like networking social. Although it has not been all-around lengthy, the athletes are by now appreciative of the function the section is performing.
“By putting on this party Oklahoma Condition is proving that they really don’t only treatment about what we do for them as athletes, but they also care about our futures and our careers,” Wittlake claimed.
The student-athlete networking party is just a single of a couple events that the leadership and growth section is doing work on to aid its Cowboys and Cowgirls get ready for their futures. Cowboy football seniors are the initial to try a venture Lynch and the division is hoping to broaden to the rest of OSU athletics before long.
“We are tests out a ‘Suiting Up Seniors’ application and our soccer pupil-athlete seniors are listed here,” Lynch stated. “With that application they are heading by way of a résumé evaluation, they have to show up at this networking occasion and they are also undertaking an etiquette dinner at the conclude of November. The hope is they appear to all of these, get them done and then they will be awarded a suit. We have a partnership with a match company named Expose Suits to reward them for that. If this goes great, then we are hoping to open that up to all senior pupil athletes coming up.”
A redshirt senior on OSU’s football group, Braden Cassity is 1 of the college student athletes who have gotten to be a section of the Suiting Up Seniors undertaking so much.
“It is big,” Cassity mentioned. “This is a great prospect that not just about every school does. It is anything that is exclusive about us and we’re obtaining customized fits as perfectly. A lot of men, myself incorporated, don’t seriously know appropriate etiquette and things like that, at minimum at a high degree. This variety of event where by they get absolutely everyone with each other and we master how to do factors the appropriate way is amazing. It actually does necessarily mean a ton to us. We ended up conversing about it before that not each college is executing this, so it can be a significant deal for us at Oklahoma Point out.”