Nicole Ezeh found her ‘why’ during NCAA postgraduate internship

Entering her NCAA postgraduate internship, Nicole Ezeh knew the program would lay a foundation of industry knowledge and contacts for her future career. She did not anticipate leaving the internship with a greater understanding of herself and her purpose.

During one of the talent sessions led by the NCAA's leadership development team, the director said: Ask "why" three times and you will find the root of the situation.

This advice stuck with Ezeh and made her reflect on her lifelong goal of becoming a sports agent.?

Why did she want to become an agent? To form strong relationships with athletes and help them achieve their dreams.?

Why? To help athletes develop their identity, centered in encouraging them to realize their athletic goals while becoming a well-rounded person.

In asking the last "why," Ezeh dug into her experiences as a former track athlete at Butler and her conversations with her late brother, Obi.

"I feel like my identity was very rooted in athletics," she said. "It was very easy for me to measure my success in life based on my success on the track."

Ezeh found immense success on the track, earning multiple All-Big East honors, becoming a Big East champion three times and setting five Butler track records throughout her career. Yet Ezeh said she rode the highs and lows of her athletic performance, with her mood and mental health often dependent on how fast she ran. A series of injuries forced Ezeh to take a step back from track. This break became a pivotal moment for Ezeh because her injuries forced her to understand her identity off the track.?

Ezeh would often call her brother, Obi, because as a former football player at Michigan, he knew firsthand about her experiences as a college athlete.

"He really helped me open my mindset to say, 'You're a good athlete because of your characteristics and the things that make you you. Those are easily transferable into the outside world.'"

The siblings discussed transferable skills, and Ezeh realized she did not need to redefine her identity. In fact, all the skills she employed as an athlete were the characteristics that she could apply to her professional career, too.?

"Your identity does not change," she said. "People don't need to figure out who they are outside of athletics because your identity is steady no matter what."?

Ezeh realized her work ethic and dedication on the track was not exclusive to her athletic ability; it was who she is as a person. This mindset shift served as a turning point for Ezeh. She began working as a sports agent trainee, a digital marketing consultant for Tamika Catchings and a social media coordinator for the Indiana Pacers and Fever on top of her classwork and track schedule.?

After graduating from Butler with a degree in strategic communications and a Master of Business Administration, Ezeh set her eyes on the NCAA Postgraduate Internship Program. She had met a former postgrad intern who spoke highly of her experience at the NCAA because of the professional development opportunities and impactful work.?

"I just immediately got the feel of how much the employees in the NCAA wanted you to be your best selves," Ezeh said. She accepted a position in brand strategy in the communications department.

During her internship, Ezeh worked on the NCAA's Woman of the Year award. She helped with social strategy and the planning of the NCAA Convention.

Yet some of her most impactful moments at the national office came from the friendships she made with the other interns.

"I felt so comfortable and so motivated because I was surrounded by 35 other individuals that were driven and wanted to be great," she said. "I found my community within the first 10 minutes of knowing them. It motivated me to become the best version of myself."

Ezeh also took advantage of the internship alumni network and built relationships across the sports industry. A mentor in the communications department connected Ezeh with Alexia Grevious Henderson, a former postgraduate intern who worked for Magic Johnson Enterprises. After a few phone calls, Ezeh and Henderson formed a strong relationship. When a social media and content manager position opened at Magic Johnson Enterprises, Henderson gave Ezeh a call. Within a month, Ezeh had accepted the job and moved to Los Angeles, where she works hand in hand with Johnson.

As Ezeh continues to pursue a career as a sports agent, she remembers the foundation she laid at the NCAA, which helped her establish her career.

"I left the postgraduate internship with a greater understanding of myself, my purpose and what leaves me fulfilled in the workplace," she said. "It transformed how I go about my life because I have a better understanding of my calling and what fills my cup. The internship experience really helped me identify and describe that. So now it's easily transferable not just to my career, but my life.

"I think about pivotal moments in my journey with becoming more in tune with myself, taking autonomy of my life and in my athletic career. They all relate to the NCAA in so many different ways."