More than 250 University of Toledo student-athletes embraced the opportunity to prepare themselves for life after graduation at the annual “Rockets Rise: Networking and NIL Night” held in Savage Arena on Feb. 12.
This was the seventh year that Toledo Athletics has held a student-athlete networking night. Over 50 companies registered for the event this year in diverse employment areas, ranging from Libbey to The Toledo Zoo & Aquarium. Members of the Rockets Ascend Pathways Program were also in attendance in support of their mentees and the rest of the student-athletes.
More than 250 UToledo student-athletes prepared themselves for life after graduation at the annual Rockets Rise: Networking and NIL Night in Savage Arena on Feb. 12.
Director of Student-Athlete Development Traci Snyder said the event is a great opportunity for student-athletes to start thinking about their future and to be exposed to employment, internship, mentorship and Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) opportunities.
“This event is a great place for our student-athletes to consider the possibilities that await them in life after sport,” Snyder said. “Networking with employers, near and far, is an excellent way to start conversations about the future and build relationships. I am thankful for all of the companies and representatives that registered and attended this year to help us continue to elevate the student-athlete experience at Toledo.”
Grace O’Malley, a junior on the softball team, said the event put the temporary nature of college athletics into perspective.
“I believe events like this are beneficial for us as athletes in finding a career because it emphasizes that fact that we’re only playing a sport for four years,” said O’Malley, an adolescent and young adult education major. “We’re going to have to go into the workforce and be able to build a career. We have the opportunity to work with employers and talk and be confident in who we are as people and as athletes in what our athletic experience has done for us, and talk about our work ethic and how it made us the people we are.”
Michael Rigot, the general manager of Delta Hotel by Marriott, said the event was a great opportunity to meet with student-athletes who will be soon entering the workforce.
“Toledo student-athletes are the next up-and-coming group to take over what we do on a daily basis,” Rigot said. “They have a great work ethic and that’s what goes into an everyday job. That’s what we’re looking for, to try to pull from the talent pool here and bring it into the hospitality world,”
Caylee Sharkey, a junior exercise science major on the women’s volleyball team, said the event was helpful whether for those who know what career field they want to pursue as well as for those who are still making those decisions.
“If you don’t know what career you want to get into, then it’s just a good range of people you can talk to,” Sharkey said. “And if you do know, there are a lot of opportunities for internships for future job opportunities.”
Tucker Gleason, a quarterback on the football team, added that the event is a good opportunity for student-athletes to start thinking about their future.
“The whole night is all about building connections,” said Gleason, who holds a degree in exercise science and is pursuing a second degree in computer science and engineering technology. “It’s a great chance to get to talk to a lot of different employers, and they’re all in different job fields. We’re college athletes, mostly 18- to 22-year-olds, so we’re still young and many of us don’t know what we’re going to get into after college. It’s all about building connections.”
Employers interested in attending next year’s Networking and NIL Night or for those with employment, internship or NIL opportunities for University of Toledo student-athletes, contact Traci Snyder at traci.snyder@utoledo.edu.
