C.A.T.S. Student-Athlete Development
Diana Ramos has been a member of the University of Arizona Track and Field program for the last six years. She has been named to the Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll every year that she was eligible and received the 2023 NCAA Jim McKay Scholarship. During the 2024 indoor season, Ramos set the Venezuelan National Record for an indoor jump with a leap of 5-11.25 (1.81m) at the NAU Friday Night Axe'em Open.
But with her collegiate career coming to a close, Ramos took part in the NCAA Career in Sports Forum recently. Below she details what that opportunity meant to her and what she took away from it in her own words.
Earlier this summer, I had the honor to participate in the NCAA Career in Sports Forum held at the NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana. This four-day forum brought together a diverse group of student-athletes from all divisions and states to learn about the sports industry and self-exploration.
My trip to Indianapolis got off to a rough start. My flight was canceled and there were no flights available for me to take on the same day. As a result, I missed most of Day 1 of the forum. Surprisingly, I was not the only one who had flight issues. There were others whose flights were delayed and/or canceled. I made friends with other student-athletes who, like me, were late to the first day. We went to the hotel from the airport to unload our luggage and walked over to the NCAA headquarters, which was right across the street from the hotel.
For the forum, we were divided into five color teams. I was in the purple team along with other student-athletes from a variety of sports, divisions and places both inside and outside the U.S. The facilitators for the purple team were Amanda Brown, Assistant Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Development & Professional Advancement at University of Kentucky, and Josh King, Associate Director for Engagement & Athlete Career Development at Davidson College.
Despite missing most of Day 1, my amazing facilitators and teammates were kind enough to go over what they did. On this day, we explored our strengths. Two weeks prior to the Forum, we were assigned to do the CliftonStrengths, a 30 min survey that measures what your strengths are. According to Gallup CliftonStrengths, my strengths are: Learner, Relator, Discipline, Context, and Communication.
The second day was a long day. From 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. we were challenged to work on our networking skills. First thing in the morning, we had Yolett McPhee-McCuin, Head Women's Basketball Coach at Ole Miss, as the keynote speaker. She talked about her coaching journey. She said that a journey is a work in process, it is to continue figuring out ways to move the needle. This stuck with me because sometimes I tend to focus a little bit too much on the next big step, when it is important to have small steps to reach your goals.
She also talked about passion.
"Shoot your shot," she said.
She meant that if you really want something, go for it!
This also stuck with me because I remember when I failed my English proficiency test to come to the University of Arizona.
I thought it was over.
I thought I would never come to college in the U.S., but then I had a "shoot your shot" moment. I emailed a video to UA track and field head coach, Fred Harvey, asking for a second chance. If I would have not sent that video, I probably would not have come to UA. I took my shot.
Later that day we had our first breakout session where we worked on sharpening our skills. During this session, we identified how our student-athlete skills can be transferable to the working place.
For example: teamwork is a transferable skill because being a student-athlete means that you are part of a team, and you collaborate with others to achieve a common goal. This is a skill that a lot of companies look for in candidates. So never underestimate your student-athlete experiences.
Then we worked on an "elevator pitch," a short but meaningful intro of yourself that you can tell to future employers. We got to use our "elevator pitch" later that day at a networking mixer with industry professionals. Overall, the second day was the most exhausting one. I had to take a break, go outside and walk barefoot on the grass for 10 minutes.
Also, on Day 2 we had the opportunity to pick three out of six different panels to attend. I chose the Pro Sports Panel, ESPN Insights, and External Athletics.
It was awesome to hear from professionals in the sports industry. Hearing their journeys to their careers was very inspiring, as many of the panelists were former student-athletes who transferred their love for sports into professional careers.
Day 3 was super fun because everybody got to wear their school polos and sneakers. After two days of wearing casual shoes, wearing sneakers felt so good. In the breakout sessions, we explored our gifts. These are things/activities that you are naturally drawn to, activities that you seem to pick up quickly, activities that the "steps" just come automatically, activities where you have moments of subconscious excellence and you think, "How did I do that?" and/ or activities that make you think, "When can I do that again?
This was a very significant activity because it made me realize that there is so much more in me than being a student-athlete. It was fun to explore who I am without my titles, and I found out that I am many things. For example, I am drawn to cleaning. I enjoy cleaning. I pick up dancing skills quite quickly and when I bake or cook, the "steps" come to me automatically. I think it is important to get to know who we are and identify those activities that give us glimpses of joy. Also, it helps with your personal branding.
Day 4 was all about self-reflection to dig deeper into what makes you, you. And what makes me, me is a combination of things and activities that I am good at, that I love to do, and that I believe in. With these three questions, it was easier to narrow down my career interests because, as many speakers said, you have to do something you are good at (or can get good at), something that you love to do, and something that you believe in.
I want to say thank you to the NCAA, speakers, facilitators, and student-athletes for making this experience an unforgettable one. I made a couple good friends and so many connections. A special thanks to Dr. Sofia Read and C.A.T.S. Student-Athlete Development for nominating me to participate in this forum. I am forever grateful for everything she did for me as a student-athlete.
With this I completed my student-athlete experience at UA and I will continue working on my master degree at UA. Thank you, Arizona Athletics, for believing in me and making one of my dreams come true.
If you are a student-athlete and have any questions or want to talk more about my experience at the Career in Sports Forum, please reach out. I am more than happy to talk.
Sincerely,
Diana Ramos
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