Inner Circle Kicks Off Monthly Meetings

On Monday September 16th, 43 Husker student-athletes met in the Devaney Era Club of Memorial Stadium for the first Inner Circle meeting of the 2019-2020 academic year. Inner Circle, a leadership group consisting of 2nd through 5th year student-athletes, meets once a month throughout the academic year and focuses on building leadership skills, serving the community, and professional development. Members of the group were nominated by coaches and athletic department staff during the summer to apply for membership and have demonstrated a commitment to building meaningful connections with peers, letterwinner alumni, and community leaders by being a part of the group.

Inner Circle routinely brings in letterwinners to speak to members on various professional development topics and to share their story about the transition into a professional position outside of athletics. Patrick Burke, track and field letterwinner and former SAAC president, was the featured guest speaker at the first meeting on Monday evening. Burke now works for Union Pacific in Omaha, NE and spoke to the group about his role, how being a student-athlete set him up for success well beyond athletics, and allowed student-athletes to ask questions and learn more about his professional journey.

All members of the group took the Gallup Strengths Finder assessment prior to the meeting and discussed their strengths in small group discussions. Discussions centered around why it is important for leaders to know their own strengths as well as the strengths of others, and how to translate that information into athletics and the professional world away from sports.

All Inner Circle meeting topics have been carefully picked to prepare student-athlete members for the Inner Circle Career Banquet, which is a chance for student-athletes to dine with local professionals, build their professional network, and participate in mock interviews. The remaining meeting topics for Inner Circle this year include:

• Monday, Oct. 14th: Mastering a Resume & LinkedIn  
• Monday, Nov. 11th: Personal Branding
• Monday, Nov. 25th: Outreach Event
• Monday, Jan. 27th: Career Identity vs Athletic Identity
• Monday, Feb. 17th: Interview Prep 101
• Monday, Mar. 16th: Looking the Part
• Monday, Apr. 13th: Inner Circle Career Banquet  

For questions about Inner Circle, or to inquire about participating in the Inner Circle Career Banquet, please contact Inner Circle advisor, Tom Lemke.