Feb. 17, 2012
Over 40 current UCLA student-athletes participated in Networking Night on Feb. 7. The event was hosted by the Bruin Varsity Club (BVC), in collaboration with the Office of Student-Athlete Development.
Networking Night featured nine successful BVC mentors, representing various professional fields. The mentors led roundtable discussions on their post-graduate experiences and provided tips on interviewing, resumes, networking and how to market transferable skills and athletic experience in the professional world.
Nate Fikse, former UCLA football punter and current financial analyst, participated in his second networking night as a BVC mentor and said he was honored to be a resource of knowledge for current Bruin student-athletes.
"Networking Night is a great way to expose student-athletes to various professional industries while interacting with alumni to build relationships for future opportunities and resources," Fikse said.
Senior swimmer and Bruin Athletic Council representative Yasi Jahanshahi said, "I learned so much from the Networking Night and am excited to take advantage of the opportunities to meet alums and grow my own professional network."
Recognizing the importance of mentorship and networking, UCLA Athletics continues to create opportunities to build connections between current and former student-athletes.
"Networking Nights are an integral part of professional development programs offered to all Bruin student-athletes to help prepare them for the transition from their athletic career to the professional world," stated Director of Student-Athlete Development Ashley Armstrong.
For additional information on Networking Nights and other BVC mentoring programs and initiatives, please contact Courteney Cosso, Director of the Bruin Varsity Club at ccosso@athletics.ucla.edu. For information on Student-Athlete Development programs, contact Ashley Armstrong at aarmstrong@athletics.ucla.edu.