When Assistant Director of Athletics, Stephanie Johnson nominated JaMarcus Walker for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Immersion Program, the Brevard College student-athlete didn’t fully understand the opportunity for which he’d been nominated. Walker, a member of the Tornado men’s tennis team, is a junior pursuing a degree in Business and Organizational Leadership with a minor in coaching. From Seneca, South Carolina, JaMarcus is active on campus as Vice President for BC’s SAAC (Student-Athlete Advisory Board), the Vice President of the college’s Black Student Union, Peer Leader, Resident Advisor, and member of CAB (Campus Activities Board) as well as the Business and Leadership Club.
For the last three years, Brevard College has nominated students for the Immersion Program, which is held annually, as part of the NCAA convention. And for the last three years, Brevard College students have been accepted to participate in the program, which builds “a pipeline of talented ethnic minority candidates, with an interest in Division III coaching and/or administration, in an effort to ultimately diversify the division” (NCAA, 2022). Johnson said, “I nominated JaMarcus because I knew the program would open his eyes and mind to what we do in college athletics, and help him get a better view on where he wants to take his career. JaMarcus is a fabulous young man and an excellent student staff member for the athletic department. I’m excited to see where he takes his career after he graduates.”
“It felt really good to be chosen,” Walker said. “It is a great opportunity to meet people in the Division III world.”
Walker traveled to the NCAA Convention in Indianapolis where he joined a select group of young athletes, making nationwide connections that will help him as he pursues a career in coaching or athletics management. As part of the program, the students vote on program proposals that impact student-athletes. Additionally, Walker met and networked with athletic directors and formed a relationship with Stuart Robinsion, Athletic Director at New York University, who serves as his Division III Immersion mentor.
Walker chose Brevard College because“The small community is very important to me,” he said. When he first started college, he remembers, “ I had no idea what I wanted to do, but then I started working with the athletic department. It helped me to know coaching or sports management is something I can do and I want to do.”
As a result of his experience in the NCAA Division III Immersion Program, Walker said “My outlook on athletics is broadened so I will approach my college work from a more professional level. I learned communication skills, interacted with professionals, and I tied together what I learned at the convention with my business classes at BC. My perspective has changed.”