Story by Emma Hall
ANCHOR LEAD:
UNC-Chapel Hill’s student-athlete organization Rams Club is providing a mentorship opportunity to help women in UNC sports make connections at Carolina and beyond.
TRACK:
Anna Barton is a UNC MBA graduate student who just finished her last season of lacrosse.
Erica Vrana works in Investor Relations at Morgan Creek Capital Management and finished her UNC swimming career in 2000.
These two former Tar Heel athletes might never have met had it not been for the mentorship program within the FORevHer Tar Heels initiative.
Anna Barton, UNC Graduate Student and Former Lacrosse Player
“You talk about your interests and what you’re interested in and then they pair you with a mentor.”
Erica Vrana, Managing Director of Investor Relations at Morgan Creek Capital Management and Former UNC Swimmer
“My mentoree Anna is in finance and business and since that’s where I work now. I think our personalities and just a combo of those two is kind of how we got paired together.”
TRACK:
The creator of the mentorship program Shelley Johnson explained that once the students are paired up, their mentors meet with them about once a month every semester.
Shelley Johnson, Creator of FORevHER Mentorship Program
“The student athlete gets to meet the mentor, the mentor gets to meet the student athlete, and we’ll have those touch points over the course of each semester”
Anna Barton, UNC Graduate Student and Former Lacrosse Player
“We meet for coffee maybe once a month or a few times a month.”
TRACK:
The program helps the student-athletes plan for their future from their background at Carolina.
Erica Vrana, Managing Director of Investor Relations at Morgan Creek Capital Management and Former UNC Swimmer
“I tell Anna and I tell all the mentorees just to remember that your resume as an athlete at Carolina is going to help you in the real world.”
Anna Barton, UNC Graduate Student and Former Lacrosse Player
“She’s just kind of helped ease my stress.”
Anna Barton, UNC Graduate Student and Former Lacrosse Player
“Beacuse you’re so consumed by sports all the time in school, and so it’s really hard to like, break through and find a connection.”
STANDUP:
The caliber of the connections these student-athletes are making is most evident at the big booster events held in this room like these with UNC Athletics. The events are filled with Olympians, National Champions, and even people with Masters and P-H-Ds.
Shelley Johnson, Creator of FORevHER Mentorship Program
“there’s something so special when you bring the student athletes and the mentors together. The level of accomplishment…the experience that’s in the room, it’s just, it’s overwhelming…I had goosebumps”
Erica Vrana, Managing Director of Investor Relations at Morgan Creek Capital Management and Former UNC Swimmer
“I mean gives me the chills. It’s just wonderful. It’s a great program.”
TRACK:
The hope is that the student-atheletes will go on to mentor other students in UNC athletics. For Barton, this trickle down effect happened sooner than expected.
Erica Vrana, Managing Director of Investor Relations at Morgan Creek Capital Management and Former UNC Swimmer
“I’m her mentor, but she’s just as much a mentor to my kids as I am to her.”
Anna Barton, UNC Graduate Student and Former Lacrosse Player
“Coincidentally, I coached her daughter in lacrosse. So that just kind of helped bond us even more. I got to know her kids, and they’re amazing.”
TRACK:
Pursuing careers in the real world and staying connected with the Carolina family- that’s what the FORevHER initiative mentorship program is all about. I’m Emma Hall reporting.
TAG:
The connection between these two business-minded athletes will continue as Barton earns her MBA in May and Vrana mentors Barton through her career in real estate… while taking on a new mentee.
TRT 2:29
Emma, your report on the FORevHer mentorship program at UNC effectively highlights the positive impact of mentorship on both mentors and mentees within the realm of women’s athletics. The personal stories of Anna Barton and Erica Vrana bring to life the program’s ability to forge meaningful connections beyond sports, aiding in the transition to professional careers. This piece not only underscores the importance of such initiatives in supporting student-athletes but also celebrates the community spirit fostered by the UNC athletics program. Well done on showcasing this inspiring program.