Athletes for Hope offers ways for college students and college student-athletes to make a difference while learning valuable skills through our internship program. Our interns help us carry out our day-to-day work and this semester, we have three new interns from Louisiana who are assisting us in a variety of ways. Meet Aubri James, TarynDeShay Antoine and Courtney Henderson.
Aubri James
Aubrion James is a 22 year-old first-year MBA student at Southern University and A&M College. Originally from Madison, AL, Aubri loves her family, staying active, and God. She will be starting her fifth season of eligibility as a pitcher and outfielder in spring 2021, due to the
cancellation of the spring 2020 season.
Taryn Antoine
Taryn Deshay Antoine was born on September 23 in Alexandria, Louisiana. Her parents are Travis and Robertha Antoine. She is an only child beginning her 4th year on the Lady Tigers Softball Team. She has served on SAAC for 3 consecutive years and has been the Community
Service Executive Officer for two of those. She plans to major in Kinesiology Pre-Occupational Therapy.
Courtney Henderson
“This fall I am entering into my 5th season on the soccer team at LSU. I am originally from Rogers, MN. I grew up in a wonderful community, so the emphasis that Athletes for Hope places on having a positive impact on the community is super important to me! I have worked alongside Athletes for Hope for the past four years while being a member of the LSU Student Athlete Advisory Committee. This year I have the privilege of serving as the SAAC Vice President. My major is General Business, and I am double minoring in Social Work and International Studies. I am really looking forward to this opportunity!”
AFH is grateful to have an impressive crop of interns to assist with our work every semester. Our interns are not just providing a service, they are learning valuable skills they can take into the workforce. We invite you to meet our newest interns, Graham Gellin, Deirdre Gallo, Robb Dehney and Kamryn Smith.
What is your name, what school do you attend and what is your major?
My name is Graham Gellin and I am an Honors Laureate Graduate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Class of 2020 – BA in Psychology with minors in History and Entrepreneurship
What drew you to AFH?
Sports have always been an important part of my life, and coming out of college I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in sports. Whether as a student athlete or as a youth sports coach, I have always felt that sports have a unique way of bringing people together. When I learned about AFH, I was immediately excited to find an opportunity to work for an organization that is able to use the power of sports and the platforms of athletes to effect change in the world for the greater good.
What excites you most about interning with AFH?
For me, the most exciting part about working with AFH is that I have the opportunity to follow my passion for sports in a way that not only gives back to causes and communities, but also helps athletes find their voice and pursue the causes that they are passionate about as well.
Who is your favorite athlete and why?
My favorite athlete is Michael Jordan. A UNC alumnus – like myself – Jordan overcame adversities and pushed himself to his limits in order to become the greatest basketball player in the history of the sport, and one of the greatest athletes of all time. Despite setbacks and challenges, Jordan worked tirelessly on his weaknesses until they became his strengths, and helped push those around him to do the same.
What causes do you care about most?
I have done a lot of work with food insecurity and education inequality in the D.C. metropolitan area, and would say that those are two causes that have been most important to me, but in today’s world, I have been passionate and outspoken about spreading messages of racial equality and public health to try to make a difference in the problems that are currently most pressing and prevalent in our country.
What is your name, what school do you attend and what is your major?
My name is Deirdre Gallo and I am a rising senior at Georgetown University majoring in Psychology and minoring in Women’s and Gender Studies. I am also a part of the Georgetown University Softball team.
What drew you to AFH?
AFH worked with my team this past fall and I loved how they were able to engage with us. The AFH mission is not only important but imperative to athletes at every level, and I wanted to be a part of spreading and enhancing it.
What excites you most about interning with AFH?
What excites me the most is being able to connect with different athletes around the country. Not only are the staff spread out around the US but AFH also works with multiple different Universities, teams, and athletes.
Who is your favorite athlete and why?
My favorite athlete is Natasha Watley, former UCLA shortstop, All American, National Champion, Hall of Fame Inductee, and 2004 Gold Medalist. Not only is she an amazing softball player, but she is SO cool! I got to meet her when I was little, I found out that if she didn’t become a world-famous softball player, her dream job would have been to become one of Beyonce’s backup dancers!
What causes do you care about most?
The two causes I care most about are racial equality and gender equality. Studying women’s and gender studies in school has allowed me to understand the deep divisions causing these problems. I think both causes are equally as important and cannot be separated due to the fact that they intersect with one another. You cannot support women without supporting women of color, and you cannot support people of color without supporting women.
What is your name, what school do you attend and what is your major?
My name is Robb Dehney. I just graduated from the University of Virginia with a major in Media Studies and a minor in Religious Studies. I am heading to Harvard Law School this fall (virtually) to earn my J.D.
What drew you to AFH?
I attended the AFH Gala in November and was drawn to the opportunity to make a positive impact through sports. As a longtime sports reporter and fan, I understood the potential impact that athletes can have on any given cause, and I knew that this internship was a chance for me to make the world a little bit of a better place.
What excites you most about interning with AFH?
I feel fortunate to be doing meaningful work, especially now. It is so clear that there is a lot of good that needs to be done in this world, and I am excited to be a part of an organization that aids athletes in their philanthropic endeavors.
Who is your favorite athlete and why?
Growing up I was a big fan of Vladimir Guerrero Sr, a perennial All-Star and MVP award winner whose son is now a budding MLB star. Watching Vlad Jr. play makes me feel really old…. As a Phillies fan, my favorite active player is Aaron Nola.
What causes do you care about most?
Environmental causes are of the utmost importance to me, as are those of animal cruelty. I view our climate crisis as the ultimate, all-encompassing ethical issue. No being, human or animal, living or not yet born, will be immune to the effects of climate change. Meanwhile, the injustices committed against voiceless, sentient creatures in a number of contexts are a stain on our species. Fortunately, each and every one of us can combat both of these issues through not-so onerous lifestyle decisions like reducing our plastic usage or lowering our demand for meat.
What is your name, what school do you attend and what is your major?
My name is Kamryn Smith. I graduated from the University of Iowa in May 2020 with a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication and a B.S. in Sport and Recreation Management. During my three years in college, I worked as a student video assistant for the Iowa football team.
What drew you to intern for AFH?
I was drawn to AFH because of its commitment to encouraging and assisting efforts toward making a positive impact in communities. As a sports fan and someone who has worked in sports in a variety of ways, I’m proud and happy to see all of the ways in which sports can impact the world. When one of my Iowa professors told me that AFH was looking for spring interns, I immediately applied for the opportunity.
What excites you most about interning with AFH?
I was excited to intern with AFH because I wanted to contribute to giving athletes a voice and platform for positive change.
Who is your favorite athlete and why?
My favorite athlete is Minnesota Vikings’ running back Dalvin Cook. He played for my favorite college team, and I’m grateful that he now plays for my favorite NFL team. But I’m also a huge fan because he uses his platform for positive change. His nickname is ‘The Chef’ and he put it to use by partnering with the Minnesota Vikings on the Vikings Table food truck, which is dedicated to fighting youth food insecurity in the Twin Cities.
What causes do you care about most?
The cause that I’m most passionate about is social justice in the form of equitable access to housing, food, healthcare, education, opportunities, sports, and so much more. It’s a broad cause, but it’s an important one.
Athletes for Hope offers internships for high school and college students interested in the field of sports philanthropy. Many of the interns we select are accomplished athletes in their schools. This year we are lucky to have five interns from a variety of schools, including three from one of our AFH U schools, Michigan State University. We were so impressed with their backgrounds that we asked the students to share a little about themselves and why they chose to intern at our organization.
Hannah Ackers, Michigan State University
My name is Hannah Ackers, and I am from Pennsylvania. I am 20 years old, and I am a field hockey player at Michigan State. I am going to be a junior this coming fall majoring in Human Biology and minoring in Peace and Justice studies. I plan on becoming a nurse after my field hockey career. I have been volunteering at Sparrow Hospital since February with the Pediatrics Unit and with Athletes for Hope, and I have started working this summer as a Nurse’s Aide in the dementia unit at a nursing home. All of these experiences have made me very passionate about giving back to those who really need the help and giving those people a great experience while I am with them that brings them joy and happiness.
Bailey Higgins, Michigan State University
I am a rising senior majoring in Kinesiology and minoring in Health Promotion at Michigan State University. I have always been passionate about getting involved on campus and in the community. I serve as the Student Athlete Advisory Committee President which allows me to represent student-athletes when meeting with the Athletic Department and other leadership groups on campus.
I came to MSU from Louisville, Kentucky so the winters have definitely been an adjustment. After I graduate, my plan is to move home and attend nursing school to become a travel nurse. I am very excited to be working with Athletes for Hope and can’t wait to see the impact that can be made.
Rickey Miezan, Stanford University
My name is Ricky Miezan, and I am from Alexandria, Virginia. Currently, I am a senior at Episcopal High School. Next year I will be attending Stanford University to continue my education, as well as my football career. All my life I have looked up to athletes of all different levels. Now that I am entering the next stage of my life where my platform increases, I want to take full advantage of that and have an impact on the rising generation.
Sawyer Post, Michigan State University
Hi, my name is Sawyer Post. I am from Vista, CA in San Diego County. I just finished up my freshman year at Michigan State University. I am a member of the MSU field hockey team. I am working towards a degree in Special Education with minors in psychology and TESOL. I have a passion for working with youth and love working with children of all ages and abilities. I look forward to working with everyone this summer!
Reuben Winston, Dickinson College
My name is Reuben Winston and I am from Potomac, Maryland. I just completed my freshman year at Dickinson College where I competed in Cross Country and both Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field. While my major is currently undecided, I have a strong interest in International Business as travel has been a big part of my life. I love giving back to the community; I have a special buddy who I have been friends with for many years. He and I have spent countless hours together and have a special bond that I am certain will last a lifetime. I am very excited to be interning at Athletes for Hope and look forward to helping in any way that I can.
Welcome, interns. We look forward to working with you this summer!
