In the future, I plan to pursue a career as a market research analyst in the sports industry, which holds a unique and powerful position to influence consumer environmental behavior. Through the lens of marketing, sports teams, and their organizations can drive meaningful change by encouraging fans both local and global to adopt more sustainable practices. Over the next five years, I aim to contribute to a positive environmental impact by utilizing sports marketing as a platform to raise awareness, foster engagement, and inspire action. At the local fan level, an effective strategy is integrating sustainability into gameday experiences. Organizing specific game days to encourage fans to make eco-friendly decisions such as biking, walking, or taking public transportation to the stadium or arena. This could be promoted through social media campaigns, and partnerships with local public transportation companies, and community leaders. Having free rental bikes across the city, designated paths for walking, and public transportation accessible with the organization's logo will get fans to show up and out for the event. Additionally, organizations can use their star athletes to use their platform and influence to express their passion to amplify the message and motivate fans on sustainable habits. Athletes can visit places local in the community such as schools to organize community clean-up events and fundraising sports matches. Now with social media, the influence of sports organizations can reach far beyond their local fan audience. By using large scale sports events such as league championships, all-star breaks, or even the Olympics can be used to showcase sustainability efforts across the globe and inspire action. Partnering with big-name eco-friendly brands for sponsorships can bring mainstream awareness for sustainability efforts and consumptions. Promoting drives to recycle old jerseys, equipment, and reusable bottles will normalize environmentally conscious choices for all fans. Sports marketing can even influence a push for change at the government level. Industry and policy change can be pushed through social media campaigns. Local governments and their leaders who are advocating for a positive change in environmental behavior can collaborate with sports organizations to campaign to local voters. In conclusion, marketing in the sports industry can be a powerful tool for environmental change. With sports teams leveraging their influence, partnerships, and storytelling, we can create a real-world impact. In five years, my goal is to see fans proudly making greener choices because of the influence their favorite sports teams inspired them to take.

If allowed to give back to my community in Indianapolis, IN, I would do so through my future career. In the future, I plan to become a sports market research analyst. With my passion, I can make a positive impact on my community by enhancing the overall fan experience and addressing the issue of youth violence. In my home state of Indiana, sports have the unique ability to bring people together, and I believe that by leveraging data, strategic insights, and personal engagement, I can help deepen the emotional connection between fans and their favorite professional sports teams in Indiana. By analyzing fan behavior, preferences, and engagement patterns, I aim to develop strategies to create more inclusive, exciting, and meaningful experiences at games, events, and online. Sports play a significant role in youth development, and by partnering with schools in the community, we can create appealing programs that deter students from engaging in these negative behaviors. Using analytical insights can also help understand what type of program will encourage the most participation. This will also bring access to sports programs that are not always available in underserved communities. I can also research what programs are in place now and see what can be improved by investing in more upgraded athletic equipment, and accessible, and safer locations. Through the research in my career, I can also shine a light on equity and inclusion issues that can be improved to help the community. I can improve the bias in who is being represented in our fan base the most in sponsorships and promotions in the media. Improving these representation gaps can better market and encourage participation from at-risk youth. Through these improvements in our marketing, more voices in our community will be heard. Lastly, by collaborating with small and local businesses familiar to the community we can better encourage everyone's social responsibility in fixing youth violence. By using businesses familiar in the community I can better understand the target demographic and what they need. These collaborations will also promote economic growth as the businesses will be promoted on a larger scale. These collaborations can also call for the participation of the youth through charitable sports games, trash clean-ups, or food drives. I think it is important to create a positive societal impact in my community through the power of my education and career. By understanding what drives my community, I can help the local organizations tailor their outreach, promotion, and events to better resonate with the community. My goal is not just to boost sales or attendance, but to do so with a sense of pride, belonging, and unity within the community with the power of sports.

My mother’s story has deeply influenced how I shaped my journey. Like her, I also thought basketball and my athletic career would be my biggest passion in life. Throughout my childhood I let basketball and my performance define my life. But my story had other plans. First I tore my ACL and meniscus, and then came an additional three knee surgeries. This was just the beginning of a long and painful journey with life-long lasting effects. I never anticipated something like this happening to me but I still tried to push on. But I soon realized my passion was slipping away. I initially believed the only surgery I would need would be the repairment surgery, but it quickly spiraled into much more. First, there was a cyclops lesion then another year later additional issues and another surgery related to scar tissue build-up complications. After three surgeries the physical pain was intense but nothing prepared me for the emotional toll that came with them. I went from being a great player to struggling just to walk. What pained me the most was watching my peers continue their careers and excel. While I learned patience, rebuilt my body, and overcame my injury, my journey with it will never be over. I will wear these scars and the chronic pain from my early-onset arthritis will follow me throughout my life. Watching my mother walk away from her passion for basketball to pursue another taught me something essential to my journey. My sports injury experience forced me to confront what it meant to lose a passion that I had dedicated my childhood to. Sometimes the story you thought would happen gets rewritten. Her rewriting her story gave me the courage to do the same for mine. Losing my passion for basketball allowed me to redirect it to a new piece of my life. I finally found a new purpose. I realized that in business I could channel the same passion, discipline, teamwork, and drive from basketball. Receiving this scholarship would be more than just financial support, it would be an investment into the continuation of my story. This obstacle tested my identity and forced me to adapt and pivot when my story did not go as planned. The financial burden of college is too much as my family is experiencing severe financial hardship due to the surgical expenses related to my traumatic knee injury. This scholarship would relieve some of the pressure from my current financial situation and allow me to fully focus and embrace my new journey. With any additional help, I can dedicate myself to my studies, community service, and engaging in internships related to my career path. In the future, I plan on becoming a sports market research analyst, with my passion I can make a positive impact on my community by enhancing the overall fan experience. In my home state of Indiana, sports have the unique ability to bring people together, and I believe that by leveraging data, strategic insights, and personal engagement, I can help deepen the emotional connection between fans and their favorite professional sports teams in Indiana. By analyzing fan behavior, preferences, and engagement patterns, I aim to develop strategies to create more inclusive, exciting, and meaningful experiences at games, events, and online. By understanding what drives my community, I can help the local organizations tailor their outreach, promotion, and events to better resonate with the community. My goal is not just to boost sales or attendance, but to do so with a sense of pride, belonging, and unity within the community with the power of sports.

My name is Maykayla Washington-Cobb, and I am a dedicated business student-athlete with a deep passion for sports and a strong commitment to personal and academic success. In the fall 2025 semester, I will be a 3rd-year transfer student having studied at both Westminster College (MO) and Marian University's Ancilla College. I am currently pursuing a degree in Business administration with a focus on pursuing a career in marketing. So far, in my academic career, I have demonstrated improvement in my studies, earning Dean's List honors each semester with an improved GPA each semester earning an average GPA of 3.76. Outside of the classroom, I have had the opportunity to compete in collegiate basketball at the NCAA Division III and NJCAA Division II levels, which allowed me to learn the skills of time management, leadership, and teamwork. In addition to my athletics and academics, I have had the opportunity to gain valuable experience working with high-level basketball professionals and organizations, including former NBA player Eddie Gill, NBA player Tyrese Haliburton, and the Indiana Pacers organization. These opportunities have not only enriched my understanding of the sports industry but also enhanced my ability to connect with others and work effectively in dynamic environments. I believe I should be selected for the Mark Green Memorial Scholarship because I embody the values of perseverance and community engagement by using sports as a platform for growth, impact, and unity. I believe these qualities that I have, align with the legacy of Mark Green. This scholarship would help ease the financial burden and support my educational journey. This will further my goal of earning my degree and making a meaningful contribution to the sports business world. In the future, I plan on becoming a sports market research analyst, with my passion I can make a positive impact on my community by enhancing the overall fan experience. In my home state of Indiana, sports have the unique ability to bring people together, and I believe that by leveraging data, strategic insights, and personal engagement, I can help deepen the emotional connection between fans and their favorite professional sports teams in Indiana. By analyzing fan behavior, preferences, and engagement patterns, I aim to develop strategies to create more inclusive, exciting, and meaningful experiences at games, events, and online. By understanding what drives my community, I can help the local organizations tailor their outreach, promotion, and. events to better resonate with the community. My goal is not just to boost sales or attendance, but to do so with a sense of pride, belonging, and unity within the community with the power of sports.

My whole life, my mother has always been the most powerful influence in every little aspect of who I am. She had me as a teenager, and still, she took on challenges that would overwhelm childless adults. She took on many other responsibilities as well. She worked, attended community college full-time, and was still competing in basketball as a student-athlete. Eventually, she decided to leave her passion for playing basketball behind to focus on what now mattered the most in her life: family. By the age of 21, she was raising three kids. She raised my siblings and me on a limited income, but she never let us see the struggle. She would never let our previous circumstances define us as a family as she saw how the cycle of poverty affected those in our extended family. This motivated her. My mother’s story has deeply influenced how I shaped my journey. Like her, I also thought basketball and my athletic career would be my biggest passion in life. Throughout my childhood I let basketball and my performance define my life. But my story had other plans. First I tore my ACL and meniscus, and then came an additional three knee surgeries. This was just the beginning of a long and painful journey with life-long lasting effects. I never anticipated something like this happening to me but I still tried to push on. But I soon realized my passion was slipping away. Watching my mother walk away from her passion for basketball to pursue another taught me something essential to my journey. My injury experience forced me to confront what it meant to lose a passion that I had dedicated my childhood to. Sometimes the story you thought would happen gets rewritten. Her rewriting her story gave me the courage to do the same for mine. Losing my passion for basketball allowed me to redirect it to a new piece of my life. I finally found a new purpose. I realized that in business I could channel the same passion, discipline, teamwork, and drive from basketball. Like her, I want to create new opportunities and financial stability not just for myself, but for others. Pursuing higher education and earning a bachelor's degree without basketball is more than a career choice. It’s a reflection of my journey and how I rewrote my story. All of this can be done because of the values my mother instilled in me. Though I don’t carry nearly any of the same responsibilities she did at my age, her sacrifices and strength reassure me that I can succeed too. My story may have changed but it didn’t end. My passion and ambition have only grown stronger through my struggles. Her legacy will continue to live in the goals I set for myself in my journey. What makes me worth the dreams I pursue does not rely on a sport. It is my ambition and perseverance, which I have earned along every step toward them. I never stopped moving forward in my new journey. I found that when your story changes, you adapt and push on. Success is earned by those who refuse to give up, even when their original plan does not work out. I refuse to give up as I am worth all of my dreams and ambitions.

My mother’s story has deeply influenced how I shaped my journey. Like her, I also thought basketball and my athletic career would be my biggest passion in life. Throughout my childhood I let basketball and my performance define my life. But my story had other plans. First I tore my ACL and meniscus, and then came an additional three knee surgeries. This was just the beginning of a long and painful journey with life-long lasting effects. I never anticipated something like this happening to me but I still tried to push on. But I soon realized my passion was slipping away. I initially believed the only surgery I would need would be the repairment surgery, but it quickly spiraled into much more. First, there was a cyclops lesion then another year later additional issues and another surgery related to scar tissue build-up complications. After three surgeries the physical pain was intense but nothing prepared me for the emotional toll that came with them. I went from being a great player to struggling just to walk. What pained me the most was watching my peers continue their careers and excel. While I learned patience, rebuilt my body, and overcame my injury, my journey with it will never be over. I will wear these scars and the chronic pain from my early-onset arthritis will follow me throughout my life. Watching my mother walk away from her passion for basketball to pursue another taught me something essential to my journey. My injury experience forced me to confront what it meant to lose a passion that I had dedicated my childhood to. Sometimes the story you thought would happen gets rewritten. Her rewriting her story gave me the courage to do the same for mine. Losing my passion for basketball allowed me to redirect it to a new piece of my life. I finally found a new purpose. I realized that in business I could channel the same passion, discipline, teamwork, and drive from basketball. Like her, I want to create new opportunities and financial stability not just for myself, but for others. Pursuing higher education and earning a bachelor's degree without basketball is more than a career choice. It’s a reflection of my journey and how I rewrote my story. All of this can be done because of the values my mother instilled in me. Though I don’t carry nearly any of the same responsibilities she did at my age, her sacrifices and strength reassure me that I can succeed too. My story may have changed but it didn’t end. My passion and ambition have only grown stronger through my struggles. Her legacy will continue to live in the goals I set for myself in my journey.