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Utah Athletics Names First Recipient of Minority Student Internship
Utah Athletics Names First Recipient of Minority Student Internship
 |  Brooke Barton was one of the student-athletes who spoke at the "School is Cool Jam" on April 17. |
April 17, 2001
SALT LAKE CITY - Brian Nmezi, a senior at West High School, has been named the inaugural recipient of the University of Utah Athletic Department's minority student internship scholarship. Nmezi was honored during the "School is Cool Jam 2001," which was attended by more than 5,000 Salt Lake City upper elementary students on Tuesday morning at the Jon M Huntsman Center.
Utah athletics implemented the minority student internship program this year in an effort to expand opportunities for people who traditionally have been under represented for careers in athletics administration. The four-year internship, which will be awarded every two years to an incoming freshman, will involve gaining knowledge and work experience within the athletics department. Over the course of the first two years, Nmezi will rotate around the various support areas, including marketing/promotions, media relations, rules compliance and academic services to name a few. In the final two years, he will be assigned to a specific area. The athletics department will provide the intern a scholarship that includes a tuition waiver, book allowance, and a room and board stipend.
Nmezi has a 3.65 cumulative GPA, and achieved scores of 1200 on his SAT and a 26 on his ACT. He has been a member of the National Honor Society, African-American club, TV production, MESA, and the science and math clubs at West High. He is plans to major in exercise and sport science at the U.
"I'm very excited about the opportunity," said Nmezi. "I've always thought about pursuing something in athletics behind the scenes, and this will be a valuable experience for me. This is something that I really want to try. I think that in life you should try everything you want to. If something interests you, pursue it. I'm so grateful for this opportunity."
"We are pleased, in the first year of this minority internship program, to have someone of Brian's quality to fulfill this spot ," said Ute athletics director Dr. Chris Hill, who made the presentation of the scholarship to Nmezi. "We are thrilled to have somebody with his ability and interest in athletics, and we look forward to working with him and other students in this program in the future."
The "School is Cool Jam" was presented by the Utah athletics department. In just its second year, the number of students in attendance was more than double last year's number. The event, which was organized and presented by Utah student-athletes, included talks on academic excellence and responsible decision from several role model Utes, as well as motivational speaker Dan Clark. Max-Air Productions put on programs featuring trampoline stunts. Performances by the Ute cheerleaders and Swoop were also a part of the 90-minute program.