GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Between practices, games, and schoolwork, finding time to focus on future career aspirations is essential as student-athletes near their final years at the University of North Dakota.
Joli Daninger, a graduate student and team captain of the North Dakota women's basketball team, aspires to combine her experience as a student-athlete and her passion for sports into a career in the industry. With the help of Tyler Burmeister, Director of Student-Athlete Development, she has found a way to explore a future working in the industry that has brought her many opportunities – college athletics.
Daninger was selected to participate in the NCAA Career in Sports Forum that will take place from June 2-5 in Indianapolis, Ind.
The Career in Sports Forum is an annual educational program that brings together 200 selected NCAA student-athletes to learn about and explore potential careers in sports, particularly college athletics. This unique three-day forum helps student-athletes chart their career paths while they network and learn from current athletics professionals.
As she prepares to participate in the NCAA Career in Sports Forum, Daninger answered a few questions on her excitement and what this means as she looks at her life after sports.
Q: How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in the NCAA Career in Sports Forum?
A: I was really happy as I understood there were a lot of applicants. I feel honored to be able to represent both UND and women's basketball. This is a great honor to be able to work with the NCAA and the reps in their headquarters.
Q: What caught your interest about the Forum?
A: I was interested in the Forum as sports have always been a large part of my life and a huge interest. I saw this as an amazing opportunity to grow in my knowledge and gain a better understanding of what I can expect from a career in this field. Working with the NCAA is a huge honor that I was both excited to apply for and get chosen to participate in.
Q: What are you hoping to learn while at the Forum?
A: I am hoping to gain a better understanding of how I can use my strengths to help with a potential career in sports. I want to further learn about all the different opportunities and directions that this field can take me. I also would like to learn about the different paths that those ahead of me took to get to where they are now.
Q: What are you most looking forward to while at the Forum?
A: I am looking forward to meeting others with similar interests and being able to learn and grow with them. I am excited to hear from other athletes about their collegiate experience and how it has shaped them. In hearing the stories of other athletes and those already working in the athletics field, I can gain a deeper understanding of the true potential in this field.
Q: Is there a specific direction you want to take in athletics?
A: There are a couple directions that I could see myself taking action in. I would love to get involved with the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusions efforts of the NCAA. Being involved with these efforts both at UND and at DePaul has helped plant this passion. I would love to have a career where I can improve the opportunities regarding this aspect.
I could also see myself within the marketing sector as I have a masters in this area and have an interest in this field. I would love to help the opportunities for athletes grow. Marketing has the ability to help women's athletics and athletics as a whole grow to new levels.
Q: How has your life as a student-athlete impacted your potential future career?
A: My life as a student-athlete has impacted my potential future career as it gives me personal experience. I believe it will help me connect with athletics as I know what it is like to walk in the shoes of the athletes. I understand what this lifestyle entails, so I can use my experiences to help improve it for those after me. I can use my own life to recall the highs and lows of my collegiate athletic career to hopefully help others.
Q: How has the University of North Dakota impacted your future career path?
A: North Dakota has provided so many opportunities for me to build on my leadership skills. There are so many resources that athletes can utilize to build connections and experience. Having this community behind me is so valued as it allows me to prepare for success after my basketball career is done.
