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 2025-June 2026 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 2025-2026 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 2024-June 2025. 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 2025-2026 Fellowship Cohort are now closed. Applications for the 2026-2027 cohort will open in the Spring of 2026. 


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


MEET THE FELLOWS 2024-2025

AMELIA ALBERS

Northwestern University

Field Hockey

Class of 2026

Anika Roche

UCLA

Women's Rowing

Class of 2026

Ashley Zilora

College of the Holy Cross

Women's Tennis

Class of 2026

Austin Hunt

Harvard University

Men's Basketball

Class of 2028

Avaughn Johnson

Mississippi College

Men's Basketball

Class of 2027

Ayden Baker

Columbia University

Football

Class of 2026

Calvin Robins Jr

Howard University

Men's Basketball

Class of 2028

Cameron Gillus

Howard University

Men's Basketball

Class of 2027

Christine Yu

Claremont Mckenna College

Women's Golf

Class of 2027

Claire Taylor

University of Michigan

Field Hockey

Class of 2026

David Davitt

University of Pennsylvania

Men's Track and Field & Cross Country

Class of 2028

Diego Diaz

Fairleigh Dickinson University

Men's Volleyball

Class of 2026

Dylan Bissel

UC Berkeley

Men's Track and Field/Cross Country

Class of 2026

Ed Holland III

Howard University

Men's Basketball

Class of 2026

Janis Espinoza

Boston College

Softball

Class of 2026

Jasmine Jackson

Elizabeth City State University

Women's Basketball

Class of 2027

Jedd Horowitz

University of Chicago

Men's Soccer

Class of 2027

Jessica Torres

Creighton University

Women's Soccer

Class of 2027

Jhelysse Anthony

Alabama A&M University

Women's Soccer

Class of 2027

Joye Wingard

Harvard University

Women's Rowing

Class of 2028

Julia Jackson

Duke University

Women's Track and Field/Cross Country

Class of 2026

Katherine Helms

North Carolina State University

Women's Swimming

Class of 2026

Kennedy Ross

Howard University
Women's Track and Field/Cross Country

Class of 2027

Lexa Hunter

Norfolk State

Women's Track and Field/Cross Country

Class of 2026

Liam Egan

University of Notre Dame

Men's Soccer

Class of 2026

Lillie Vehling

UC Davis
Women's Water Polo

Class of 2028

Lily DeBellis

Stony Brook University

Women's Swimming

Class of 2026

Maggie Munson

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Women's Track and Field/Cross Country

Class of 2026

Morgan Warren

Hampton University
Women's Volleyball

Class of 2028

Nylah Jennings

Hampton University

Women's Soccer

Class of 2028

Quentin Pridgen

Clark University

Men's Basketball

Class of 2027

Rachel Suttle

Howard University
Women's Soccer

Class of 2026

Richard Nweke

Columbia University

Men's Basketball

Class of 2027

Sabrina Skyers

Tulane University

Women's Volleyball

Class of 2026

Taylor Larkin

Harvard University
Women's Volleyball

Class of 2028

Tobias Williams

Duke University

Men's Track and Field/Cross Country

Class of 2028

William Travis

Princeton University
Men's Soccer

Class of 2028

Zach Aben

Stonehill College

Men's Ice Hockey

Class of 2028

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


2023-2024 FELLOW PROJECTS



Meet the 2023-2024 Fellowship Alumni

Elise planned and moderated an event featuring the CEO of RISE, Diahann Billings-Burford who is most known for her advancements in race relationships in collegiate sports.  The event was attended by over 75 Cal student athletes who were provided food and drink for their participation.

ELISE BYUN

CAL BERKeLEY

At Creighton, Sami has planned a series of civic engagement table talks that are underway!  Sami’s events focus on registering students to vote and helping them understand the importance of exercising your right to vote.

sami osmani

Creighton

In an effort to fight local youth food insecurity in Worcester, MA, Caleb is administering a several month long food drive at Holy Cross sporting events and on campus more broadly.  Caleb will drop off meals and bags of food weekly to local elementary schools.

caleb kenney

holy cross

Emily has started a community service competition across Vanderbilt athletics.  Her initiative is being run through the Helper Helper app on which Vanderbilt athletes can log their volunteer hours.  The most engaged athletes will be recognized at a spring awards ceremony!

EMily GAven

Vanderbilt

Josue moderated and planned a student-athlete civic engagement panel at Stanford’s annual Democracy Day event.  As event goers enjoyed food and drink provided by The Team, keynote speaker Andrew Luck delivered words on his experience being an engaged athlete at the highest level.

Josue Gil-Silva

Stanford

Katey’s project, “athlete day on the hill,” gives athletes the opportunity to visit local lawmakers and advocate for a cause about which they are passionate.  Leading up to athlete day on the hill are a series of educational meetings which are underway to prepare the athletes for their conversations.

katey parham

vanderbilt

"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