HIGH POINT, N.C., Aug. 10, 2009 – Shardonay Blueford, graduate student at High Point University, recently attended a special program sponsored by the United States Olympic Committee, held Aug. 1-4 in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Blueford, who is studying for her Master of Science in sports studies, attended the 2009 F.L.A.M.E. Program – Finding Leaders Among Minorities Everywhere – which provides students with an in-depth look at the Olympic Movement and personal exploration of the Olympics Ideals of persistence, commitment, vision, focus and determination.
The program focuses on mentoring students so that they can apply Olympic-oriented principles to all aspects of their lives. It also offers a pathway for talented young people to become further involved in the Olympic Movement either through the USOC’s college internship program or other career and volunteer opportunities.
Participants in this year’s program represented 29 colleges and universities, and hailed from 12 states across the nation.
“It feels great to be one of the chosen few selected from across the U.S. to attend the F.L.A.M.E. conference, especially since I am pursuing a career in the sports management field,” Blueford says.
The experience itself, Blueford says, is one she will not soon forget.
“Being a part of the 2009 F.L.A.M.E. program was an experience like none other that I have ever attended,” Blueford says. “I was able to meet former Olympians such as Billy Mills, April Holmes and John Register, just to name a few. Their stories have inspired me to achieve my goals no matter what obstacle I may face in life. During the program, I attended seminars on networking, the international games setup, USOC marketing and a live demo with USA wrestling, boxing and table tennis. This will always be a memorable experience for me that I was nominated to attend. … This experience definitely has been a networking stepping stone for me to get my foot in the door.”
At High Point University, every student receives an extraordinary education in a fun environment with caring people. HPU, located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina, is a liberal arts institution with 3,700 undergraduate and graduate students from 50 countries and 44 states at campuses in High Point and Winston-Salem. It is ranked by US News and World Report No. 5 among comprehensive universities in the South and No. 1 in its category among up-and-coming schools. Forbes.com ranks HPU in the top 6 percent among “America’s Best Colleges.” HPU was included in The Chronicle of Higher Education’s “Great Colleges to Work For” 2009 listings. The university offers 68 undergraduate majors, 40 undergraduate minors and seven graduate degree programs. It is accredited by the Commission of Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and is a member of the NCAA, Division I and the Big South Conference. Visit High Point University on the Web at http://www.highpoint.edu/.
Chris DudleyVice President for [email protected]