Temple University Athletics
Jennifer Abercrumbie (middle) with student-athletes at Shippensburg University who also attended the Career in Sports Forum.
Abercrumbie Shares Experience At Women's Leadership Symposium
7.25.12 | Women's Cross Country, Women's Track and Field
PHOTO GALLERY
Earlier this summer senior Jennifer Abercrumbie attended the National Association of Collegiate Woman Athletics Administrators' Women's Leadership Symposium. Abercrumbie blogged about her experience there, which can be read below. To view pictures of her experience, click the link above.
“Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude…and in actions” –Harold S. Green
Leadership is a word that is often thrown around without any understanding of what it actually means, but as the aforementioned statement denotes, leadership comes in many forms including words, attitude, and most importantly, actions. As an association whose philosophy and function is based on empowering, developing, and advancing the success of women in collegiate athletics, NACWAA's mission is to encourage women, especially those who are members of, working in, or considering working in the field of collegiate athletics, that they are inspired, strong, resilient, and passionate women who are capable of attaining every goal and desire they may conceive.
Attending the NACWAA Women's Leadership Symposium was an opportunity first mentioned by a friend to the Atlantic 10 Conference and current athletics administration professional, Jackie Campbell. In all honesty, prior to her telling me about the event, I had no idea that it even existed. Needless to say, I was fairly apprehensive about what was to come at the symposium; however, it was comforting to know that a few student-athletes that I met at the NCAA Career in Sports Forum would also be in attendance.
Day one's goal was to get the participants to arrive at key personal insights allowing us to stop holding ourselves back and be more intentional about our personal and professional development. The essential part of the day into ensuring that we were on the right path when it came to arriving at our personal insights was going over the results to the DiSC assessment. Being that this was the second time I was receiving my results in a little more than a month (the first time was at the Career in Sports Forum), it was comforting to know that my behavioral style had not changed much. The exploration of our leadership/behavioral styles was done under the guidance of Assistant Athletic Director of Student-Athlete Development at Duke University, Leslie Barnes. It may be because we have similar styles, or it may be just because of her generally enthusiastic nature, but it was easy to tell that Leslie cares about what she does and enjoys helping other people learn more about themselves as individuals/members of a larger system at work.
Working on who you are as an individual and how you communicate with those around you were the other essential parts to the day. With a lesson on “valuing your values” from Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance at the University of Kansas, Kris Kuhr Fowler, and effective communication from UMKC SWA Carla Wilson, we were able to learn what is most important to ourselves as personal and professional individuals, as well as how to effectively communicate yourself into a position in which you wanted to be, instead of effectively communicating yourself out of the door.
Stan Johnson, Executive Director of the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association, also gave a light-hearted, yet serious look at diversity education. He reminded us that no matter how often we consider ourselves to be walking a mile in someone else's shoes, or looking at things from the perspective of someone else, we cannot completely hide/disregard our own unique experiences and viewpoints. Being diverse, accepting, or inclusive is not necessarily about sharing the exact same experience as someone else, rather, more about realizing that there are a multitude of factors that go into ensuring that each individual is unique and brings something new to the table that no one else has before. No two people will see everything in the same light every single time, but that is one of the joys of human interaction; we are all unique.
Day two was more focused on helping us to identify, strengthen, and use our brand; to embrace that something special/unique about ourselves while putting our best foot forward. For the first session there were two options, but being that I am at the stage in my life where I am applying to graduate programs and assistantships/interns positions at various institutions, I felt it was better for me to go to a resume and cover letter session led by Associate Athletic Director for Compliance at the University of Kansas, Theresa Becker. It was a privilege to get one-on-one advice from a current professional and have their input on not only my experience at Temple University, but how my brand looks on paper. Continuing with the focus on putting your best foot forward, Director of Collegiate Drug Testing and Drug Free Sport, Kathy Turpin, spoke to the group about developing the attitude and intentions needed to fully succeed in and throughout the interview process. It is very important to learn how to market yourself on paper as well as in person because if you do not know what makes you a great candidate for a position, how are you supposed to get others to know?
After the lunch break, there was a considerable amount of time before the next session was to begin. I was extremely excited for the session because we were to hear from the godmother of Title IX, Bunny Sandler. Prior to the session I actually had some time to sit with Bunny, pick her brain, and get her take on the strides Title IX has made and what still needs to be done. It was truly an honor to get to hear her speak, but to get to speak to her individually about the progress that has been made, what still needs to be done, her current work, and my future ambitions was an experience in a league of its own. In preparation for the CSN segment on Title IX that aired the day before the 40th anniversary of Title IX's signing, I watched “Sporting Chance: The Lasting Legacy of Title IX” in addition to reading up on some of the current literature, so I was able to learn a little bit about what Bunny Sandler (and other women) had to go through in order to get the liberties that I have today. The work of Bunny and her peers, in regards to Title IX, helped to pave the way for who I am as a person- as a student, athlete, and citizen- and for why I am able to write this blog; meeting her and saying thank you was the least I could do. Meeting with her and not only getting to listen to a great mind speak, but to pick her brain about things that will probably be the next step for the NCAA and associated institutions, in regards to inclusion, was an experience that I will never forget.
Closing out my time at the Women's Leadership Symposium, I had the opportunity to catch up with Dr. Kathy Turpin one-on-one. It was interesting to hear from another woman who works in the industry and makes an impact on the lives of student athletes, without working at a college/university or for a conference office. I was able to pick Turpin's brain about pursuing graduate education, the future of the intercollegiate athletics industry, and many other things. To recap the conversation topic by topic would not do the conversation or experience any justice.
Attending the NACWAA Women's Leadership Symposium was an opportunity unlike any other. It was an experience that I will cherish forever, where I learned lessons that have helped me develop on personal and professional levels. The Women's Leadership Symposium helped me to get in touch with the inspired, strong, resilient, and passionate woman that I am and realize that I am never done growing and evolving. I look forward to staying in touch with the wonderful women (and men) I met who were part of the successful production of the symposium. I also look forward to attending more NACWAA events in the future. One day, I aspire to be in the position where I am invited as a presenter, to guide the next cohort of collegiate women athletics administrators toward successful careers and fulfilling lives.
By: Jennifer Abercrumbie, member of Temple Cross Country/Track & Field
Earlier this summer senior Jennifer Abercrumbie attended the National Association of Collegiate Woman Athletics Administrators' Women's Leadership Symposium. Abercrumbie blogged about her experience there, which can be read below. To view pictures of her experience, click the link above.
“Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude…and in actions” –Harold S. Green
Leadership is a word that is often thrown around without any understanding of what it actually means, but as the aforementioned statement denotes, leadership comes in many forms including words, attitude, and most importantly, actions. As an association whose philosophy and function is based on empowering, developing, and advancing the success of women in collegiate athletics, NACWAA's mission is to encourage women, especially those who are members of, working in, or considering working in the field of collegiate athletics, that they are inspired, strong, resilient, and passionate women who are capable of attaining every goal and desire they may conceive.
Attending the NACWAA Women's Leadership Symposium was an opportunity first mentioned by a friend to the Atlantic 10 Conference and current athletics administration professional, Jackie Campbell. In all honesty, prior to her telling me about the event, I had no idea that it even existed. Needless to say, I was fairly apprehensive about what was to come at the symposium; however, it was comforting to know that a few student-athletes that I met at the NCAA Career in Sports Forum would also be in attendance.
Day one's goal was to get the participants to arrive at key personal insights allowing us to stop holding ourselves back and be more intentional about our personal and professional development. The essential part of the day into ensuring that we were on the right path when it came to arriving at our personal insights was going over the results to the DiSC assessment. Being that this was the second time I was receiving my results in a little more than a month (the first time was at the Career in Sports Forum), it was comforting to know that my behavioral style had not changed much. The exploration of our leadership/behavioral styles was done under the guidance of Assistant Athletic Director of Student-Athlete Development at Duke University, Leslie Barnes. It may be because we have similar styles, or it may be just because of her generally enthusiastic nature, but it was easy to tell that Leslie cares about what she does and enjoys helping other people learn more about themselves as individuals/members of a larger system at work.
Working on who you are as an individual and how you communicate with those around you were the other essential parts to the day. With a lesson on “valuing your values” from Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance at the University of Kansas, Kris Kuhr Fowler, and effective communication from UMKC SWA Carla Wilson, we were able to learn what is most important to ourselves as personal and professional individuals, as well as how to effectively communicate yourself into a position in which you wanted to be, instead of effectively communicating yourself out of the door.
Stan Johnson, Executive Director of the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association, also gave a light-hearted, yet serious look at diversity education. He reminded us that no matter how often we consider ourselves to be walking a mile in someone else's shoes, or looking at things from the perspective of someone else, we cannot completely hide/disregard our own unique experiences and viewpoints. Being diverse, accepting, or inclusive is not necessarily about sharing the exact same experience as someone else, rather, more about realizing that there are a multitude of factors that go into ensuring that each individual is unique and brings something new to the table that no one else has before. No two people will see everything in the same light every single time, but that is one of the joys of human interaction; we are all unique.
Day two was more focused on helping us to identify, strengthen, and use our brand; to embrace that something special/unique about ourselves while putting our best foot forward. For the first session there were two options, but being that I am at the stage in my life where I am applying to graduate programs and assistantships/interns positions at various institutions, I felt it was better for me to go to a resume and cover letter session led by Associate Athletic Director for Compliance at the University of Kansas, Theresa Becker. It was a privilege to get one-on-one advice from a current professional and have their input on not only my experience at Temple University, but how my brand looks on paper. Continuing with the focus on putting your best foot forward, Director of Collegiate Drug Testing and Drug Free Sport, Kathy Turpin, spoke to the group about developing the attitude and intentions needed to fully succeed in and throughout the interview process. It is very important to learn how to market yourself on paper as well as in person because if you do not know what makes you a great candidate for a position, how are you supposed to get others to know?
After the lunch break, there was a considerable amount of time before the next session was to begin. I was extremely excited for the session because we were to hear from the godmother of Title IX, Bunny Sandler. Prior to the session I actually had some time to sit with Bunny, pick her brain, and get her take on the strides Title IX has made and what still needs to be done. It was truly an honor to get to hear her speak, but to get to speak to her individually about the progress that has been made, what still needs to be done, her current work, and my future ambitions was an experience in a league of its own. In preparation for the CSN segment on Title IX that aired the day before the 40th anniversary of Title IX's signing, I watched “Sporting Chance: The Lasting Legacy of Title IX” in addition to reading up on some of the current literature, so I was able to learn a little bit about what Bunny Sandler (and other women) had to go through in order to get the liberties that I have today. The work of Bunny and her peers, in regards to Title IX, helped to pave the way for who I am as a person- as a student, athlete, and citizen- and for why I am able to write this blog; meeting her and saying thank you was the least I could do. Meeting with her and not only getting to listen to a great mind speak, but to pick her brain about things that will probably be the next step for the NCAA and associated institutions, in regards to inclusion, was an experience that I will never forget.
Closing out my time at the Women's Leadership Symposium, I had the opportunity to catch up with Dr. Kathy Turpin one-on-one. It was interesting to hear from another woman who works in the industry and makes an impact on the lives of student athletes, without working at a college/university or for a conference office. I was able to pick Turpin's brain about pursuing graduate education, the future of the intercollegiate athletics industry, and many other things. To recap the conversation topic by topic would not do the conversation or experience any justice.
Attending the NACWAA Women's Leadership Symposium was an opportunity unlike any other. It was an experience that I will cherish forever, where I learned lessons that have helped me develop on personal and professional levels. The Women's Leadership Symposium helped me to get in touch with the inspired, strong, resilient, and passionate woman that I am and realize that I am never done growing and evolving. I look forward to staying in touch with the wonderful women (and men) I met who were part of the successful production of the symposium. I also look forward to attending more NACWAA events in the future. One day, I aspire to be in the position where I am invited as a presenter, to guide the next cohort of collegiate women athletics administrators toward successful careers and fulfilling lives.
By: Jennifer Abercrumbie, member of Temple Cross Country/Track & Field
Tuesday, June 02
Saturday, May 30
Tuesday, May 19
Tuesday, May 05
