RICHARDSON, Texas - Members of the UT Dallas athletics community have been busy on a national level this summer.

Mariana Gonzalez, a senior soccer player and track & field athlete from Rockwall, Texas, attended the NCAA Career in Sports Forum in Indianapolis in June. The forum gave 200 student-athletes an immersive opportunity to "level up" through a multitude of networking, inspirational speakers, informative career advice and more from current professionals in the pro sports and collegiate athletics world.

Built around common video game tropes, the theme for the 2023 Career in Sports Forum was "The Pursuit of Purpose." Programming during each of the four days was a different level, broken into concepts such as "Choose Your Character," "Choose Your Playing Field," "Embrace the Challenge" and "Trust Your Process." 

The forum, held at the NCAA national office in Indianapolis, highlighted potential career paths in sports and emphasized the attendees' professional and personal development.

Attendees participated in industry-specific breakouts and personal development sessions and heard from keynote speakers, including sessions from Yolett McPhee-McCuin, the Ole Miss women's basketball coach, and Lacee Carmon-Johnson, manager of basketball advancement for the Toronto Raptors.

"Attending the NCAA Career in Sports Forum was such a transformational experience," said Gonzalez. "It was wonderful to connect with so many like-minded student-athletes from all sorts of backgrounds. I learned an incredible amount about finding your purpose, the post-college athletics transition, networking, career opportunities in athletics and self-improvement. Our speakers shared so many gems that I constantly reference and implement into my daily life. I would like to thank the NCAA and UTD for this opportunity. Special Thanks goes to Marci Allison for nominating me and helping with the process."

Gonzalez is the UTD Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Vice President and works for the Comets' media relations office.

NCAA Career in Sports Forum

Allison, UTD's Associate Athletic Director for Compliance and Senior Woman Administrator, was one of 43 individuals to receive a stipend from the NCAA to attend the the National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators Summer Forum in conjunction with the NACDA & Affiliates Convention in Orlando in June. The stipends were used to help cover registration and travel costs to the convention. 

In addition, UT Dallas head volleyball coach Zach Villarreal received an invitation to attend the Division III Institute for Administrative Advancement. The Institute is a partnership between the NCAA and the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA). It seeks to provide professional development and networking opportunities for administrators from under-represented populations in Division III athletics.

The Institute's primary purpose is to provide the selected participants with a unique experience to learn more about themselves as administrators, gain additional skills and tools to grow within their current roles and leave better prepared to advance into more senior administrative roles within Division III, if desired.  Most importantly, participation in the Institute will encourage mentorship to the next generation of administrators and coaches of color who will consider Division III as their professional destination.

Each Spring, 30 mid-level administrators of color working within Division III are identified and invited to participate in the three days of professional development. The Institute is held annually in conjunction with the NCAA's Regional Rules Seminars.

Villarreal led the American Southwest Conference Coaching Staff of the Year as the Comets won a conference title and advanced to the Second Round of the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship.