Valiyah Young Scholarship

I am a junior Sport Management student at Winston-Salem State University, concentrating on sport communication. I am a 3x Dean's list recipient and Spring 2023 initiate of the Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society. During my undergraduate years, I will work towards earning a spot in the National Football League's (NFL) Internship Program. This would allow me to gain experience in my chosen career field, and work alongside experienced sports professionals. Upon completing my bachelor's degree, I plan to obtain my master's degree in communications. I was a Fall 2022 Black Sports Business Academy (BSBA) initiate. I met virtually with other aspiring HBCU sports professionals and executives. As a student in BSBA, I had the opportunity to job shadow the NFL Carolina Panthers community relations team on game day. Here I got hands-on experience in community relations and gained insight from experienced sports professionals. I would love to work in the sports industry as I have a passion for sports and will enjoy a career in this field. My ultimate career goal is to combine my experiences over the next five years to become a sports agency entrepreneur. I would love to work in one of the NFL's front office teams and start a precedent of black women working in executive roles within the sports industry. My educational goals consist of being a first-generation magna cum laude college graduate. If chosen as a recipient, this scholarship program will assist me in achieving my goal of graduating college debt-free and obtaining financial freedom. This Scholarship will allow me to continue my dream of obtaining higher education, in a field (sports management) that I am very passionate about. Any amount I might receive will decrease the financial burden that the costs associated with attending college will have on my family. The scholarship would also leverage me toward my ultimate life goal of graduating college debt-free. The majority of my family members have been unable to complete their undergraduate degrees, due to lack of funds. With the help of this scholarship, I will be able to take one step closer to achieving this goal and changing my family’s narrative. During the 2023-2024 academic school year I was the community outreach coordinator for the Caribbean Student Association. I assemble a canned food drive and was able to collect over 100 non-perishable food items. I was able to donate these items to the Winston-Salem Rescue Mission and meet some of the individuals who help run the organization. Being able to talk with them, gave me a new perspective on food insecurity. Food insecurity in the triad area of North Carolina was something I was not well educated on. Today, I can continue to do my part in the areas surrounding my university, and continue to help alleviate the struggles of food insecurity in my school and home communities.