University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Photo by: Adrian Etheridge
Wall Reflects On Valuable Experience at the NCAA/Women Leaders in College Sports Women’s Leadership Symposium
06.21.2018 | Women's Basketball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – UNC Asheville women's basketball rising senior Jessica Wall was one of 100 student-athletes selected to attend the NCAA and Women Leaders in College Sports Women's Symposium in Kansas City, Mo. in late April.
"Being able to attend the Women's Leadership Symposium was one of the best experiences," said Wall. "I was able to learn so much from all of the instructors and other attendees."
To be selected, the student-athlete had to be nominated from the UNC Asheville Athletic Department and then the selected person had to apply to the Big South Conference. The Big South chose only two female student-athletes, and Wall was one of the two. Overall, the Women's Leadership Symposium only accepted 100 student-athletes from across the country.
"We are so proud of Jessica being selected by the Big South to attend the NCAA Women's Leadership Symposium," said UNC Asheville women's basketball head coach Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick. "She has been working diligently to develop her leadership skills in preparation for her senior year as the floor general and leader for our team. This opportunity will also be beneficial for her long term in getting her foot in the door for a position in athletics, which is one of her goals after she graduates from UNC Asheville."
At the symposium, the participants took an active role in exploring many important areas of college athletics, such as: personal branding, individual strengths and values, resume building, interviewing and goal and vision setting.
"The symposium consisted of multiple sessions each day on a variety of topics," Wall said. "All of the speakers were excellent and taught me so much that I didn't know before. There was so much insight they had to offer.
"Although I want to pursue a career in coaching, this three-day symposium opened my eyes to the many other opportunities in college athletics. I was able to talk to other attendees about jobs that they have, which ranged from marketing director to academic counselor and even athletic directors."
As a rising senior, Wall talked about what it felt like being one of the youngest attendees at the symposium.
"Being one of the youngest people in attendance, I was definitely able to learn from other people's stories and opportunities," Wall said. "It also allowed me to network and gain resources. Attending the symposium gave me an edge and a head start to begin thinking about what it would take for me to pursue a career in collegiate athletics."
When asked about the biggest takeaways from the symposium and if she would recommend it to fellow female student-athletes, Wall exclaimed, "The biggest takeaways were the importance of creating relationships throughout your career, making an impact on the people around you and being able to step outside of your comfort zone. I would definitely recommend it for any woman who would like to pursue a career in collegiate athletics or if you already are in athletics and want to improve on what you do."
"Being able to attend the Women's Leadership Symposium was one of the best experiences," said Wall. "I was able to learn so much from all of the instructors and other attendees."
To be selected, the student-athlete had to be nominated from the UNC Asheville Athletic Department and then the selected person had to apply to the Big South Conference. The Big South chose only two female student-athletes, and Wall was one of the two. Overall, the Women's Leadership Symposium only accepted 100 student-athletes from across the country.
"We are so proud of Jessica being selected by the Big South to attend the NCAA Women's Leadership Symposium," said UNC Asheville women's basketball head coach Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick. "She has been working diligently to develop her leadership skills in preparation for her senior year as the floor general and leader for our team. This opportunity will also be beneficial for her long term in getting her foot in the door for a position in athletics, which is one of her goals after she graduates from UNC Asheville."
At the symposium, the participants took an active role in exploring many important areas of college athletics, such as: personal branding, individual strengths and values, resume building, interviewing and goal and vision setting.
"The symposium consisted of multiple sessions each day on a variety of topics," Wall said. "All of the speakers were excellent and taught me so much that I didn't know before. There was so much insight they had to offer.
"Although I want to pursue a career in coaching, this three-day symposium opened my eyes to the many other opportunities in college athletics. I was able to talk to other attendees about jobs that they have, which ranged from marketing director to academic counselor and even athletic directors."
As a rising senior, Wall talked about what it felt like being one of the youngest attendees at the symposium.
"Being one of the youngest people in attendance, I was definitely able to learn from other people's stories and opportunities," Wall said. "It also allowed me to network and gain resources. Attending the symposium gave me an edge and a head start to begin thinking about what it would take for me to pursue a career in collegiate athletics."
When asked about the biggest takeaways from the symposium and if she would recommend it to fellow female student-athletes, Wall exclaimed, "The biggest takeaways were the importance of creating relationships throughout your career, making an impact on the people around you and being able to step outside of your comfort zone. I would definitely recommend it for any woman who would like to pursue a career in collegiate athletics or if you already are in athletics and want to improve on what you do."
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballThursday, March 14
Thursday, March 14
Monday, March 04
Monday, February 26