General | 1/14/2021 3:47:00 PM

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – The Bloomsburg University athletics graduate assistant for athletic administration and operations, Keenan Huss, has been selected to attend the 2021 NCAA Emerging Leaders Seminar, as announced last week.
 
The Mechanicsburg, Pa. native, Huss is in the second year of his graduate assistantship with Bloomsburg athletics. As the GA for Athletic Administration and Operations, he works closely with Dr. Michael McFarland and Eric McCabe, Assistant to the Athletic Director, to ensure all BU's operations and events run smoothly.
 
The seminar is a three-day virtual program that educates, develops, and connects the selected participants and equips attending young professionals with the skills necessary to accelerate their career progression in college sports. This professional development event provides leadership, educational and transitional programming for current graduate assistants and interns from NCAA member schools, conference offices, and affiliate organizations.
 
"Initially, I learned about the NCAA Emerging Leaders Seminar from our Director of Athletics, Dr. McFarland," remarked Huss. "A few BU students have been able to attend in the past, and he recommended that I apply for the opportunity. After his encouragement, I conducted research and discovered how great it would be to connect and learn from other experts and young professionals in my field."
 
"We are very to have Keenan represent Bloomsburg at this year's Emerging Leaders Seminar," said Dr. McFarland. "This is a great opportunity for him to network with other professionals in collegiate athletics while bringing knowledge from the seminar to enhance his role here at BU."
 
 From NCAA.org, "Participants walk away with valuable insight into college athletics, a more in-depth understanding of self-awareness and group dynamics through the DISC assessment and program case study, and an expansive network of peers and industry leaders to call upon throughout their professional journey. Through this exposure, participants return to their current roles with applicable skills and knowledge to help them succeed in the next steps of their career.
 
The program features presentations from prominent industry experts, including NCAA national office executives, who inform attendees about the national governing body's role in the college sports landscape. Through breakout presentations and panels, participants can explore potential career avenues while building valuable connections within their areas of interest. Additional professional development topics will include crucial conversations, evaluating fit and office culture, self-care, navigating the job search and managing others. Overall, participants strengthen their professional network and knowledge of college sports while building leadership skills that prepare them to succeed personally and professionally."
  
"I applied to the Emerging Leaders Seminar for the opportunity to expand my knowledge of student-athlete development both on and off the field," continued Huss. "In my role in operations, I have been able to truly gain a better sense of intercollegiate athletics and the inner workings of a large-scale athletics department. I plan to utilize the Emerging Leaders Seminar as an opportunity to share my experiences and learn from professionals brought together by the ELS.
 
I expect the Emerging Leaders Seminar to provide me with a diverse and valuable insight into different components of intercollegiate athletics. I am excited for the opportunity to discuss topics and issues facing intercollegiate athletics, especially given our unusual year in athletics and our plans to address them as a future collegiate athletic administrator."

Participants must be a current intern or graduate assistant within an athletics department at an NCAA member school, conference office, affiliate organization, or the NCAA national office. Individuals must have completed a bachelor's degree to be eligible to apply for the Emerging Leaders Seminar.

"Upon my graduation in June, I plan to start my full-time career in intercollegiate athletics. I hope to become a senior administrator within an institution's athletics department or at a conference office. My passion for sports originates from its ability to unify a diverse group of people and provide a platform for student-athletes to showcase their skills, both on and off the field."