Deacs Thriving in ACC Professional Development Academy

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- The Wake Forest Student-Athlete Development Office built a network of local business and campus partnerships that was on track to provide 50 internship opportunities for Demon Deacon student-athletes. This amazing accomplishment is a part of the Athletic Department's mission to provide a World Class Student-Athlete Experience.

This initiative was put in place to allow these young men and women to achieve success beyond their athletic endeavors.

"Career readiness is a pillar of our department," Ashley Wechter, Wake Forest's Assistant Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Development, said. "The goal was to create tailored business and leadership opportunities with local employers to help student-athletes have a better understanding of their next steps."

This initiative was difficult to execute this summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so Wechter worked with her peers across the ACC for alternate opportunities for that development.

"We work really hard to create these local partnerships," Wechter said. "After we did it in 2019, our staff had a vision of what this summer would look like, then the coronavius hit. It was apparent that so many of these local businesses and campus partners were going to be unable to provide this tailored opportunity for our student-athletes to get exposure and experience."

Banding together, Wechter, the ACC, and her fellow student-athlete development professionals from across the conference came up with the ACC Professional Development Academy, a six-week virtual learning opportunity to accentuate personal growth, leadership skills and career development.

"It's progressional," Wechter said. "You start off in the first years of helping student-athletes understand themselves — their core values and their beliefs. Once you establish that, you're able to lead others. But you have to start with yourself. Similarly, that's how we're starting this Professional Development Academy. What are your core values? How are you leading yourself, then, how are you leading others? How are you preparing for your career?"

The academy uses Google Classroom and Zoom to facilitate the workshops, and alternating weeks between teaching sessions and guest speakers. Some guest speakers on the agenda include former USC Volleyball Player and Public Speaker Victoria Garrick, ESPN College Basketball Analyst Jay Bilas, and Associate Director for Leadership & Development at the NCAA, Lamarr Pottinger.

"We're off to a great start," Wechter said. "This is just grassroots, where all the student development professionals have come together. We have a truly devoted and talented group of professionals across the ACC who are looking out for the well-being and long-term success of our student-athletes. When we recognized how COVID-19 would affect our summer program, we made a pivot to provide opportunities they might not be able to get.

"It's hard enough for our student-athletes to get an internship during a normal year based on schedules, much less during a pandemic. This is something we hope has enough legs that it won't just be a one-off deal. We have a feeling it's something the ACC will sponsor moving forward."

Each school across the conference could have up to 10 student-athletes in the program, and there were 207 total applicants. It enrolled 155 participants when it started in mid-June. There are 12 'Color Teams,' where the entire class is broken into smaller groups for enhanced interaction and discussion.

"A strong network will help extend their professional resources and employment opportunities," Wechter said. "The ACC PDA allows them to develop deeper relationships with more people across the conference and within the ACC office. Even though there's 155 participants, we're also broken down into smaller groups to allow more personal interaction."

"We hope they learn more about themselves, and walk away with a stronger resume and action steps to take to grow. We want them to have all the tools they need to succeed in life and their career."

There are nine Wake Forest student-athletes who are in the program: Julia McLaughlin (Women's Golf), Jack Kinney (Cheer & Dance), Eleanor Winants (Field Hockey), Maggie Dickman (Field Hockey), Cole McNally (Men's Soccer), Abby Krueger (Volleyball), Maddie Lynch (Women's Tennis), Rylee Kopchak (Women's Cross Country) and Alexis Grippo (Field Hockey).

"I have to give the credit to Ashley Wechter," McNally said. "She worked so hard to put this together and make this what it is. This aids our development from the collegiate to the professional world. This has been nothing short of phenomenal.

"I can personally say that I've learned so much in the first two weeks of what it takes to make that transition from college to professional. I have nothing but great things to say. It's been incredible."

Wake Forest Athletics

Deacs Thriving in ACC Professional Development Academy

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