COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The University of Maryland Intercollegiate Athletic Department announced the second class of participants in the Barry and Mary Gossett Fellows Program. The program includes rising senior and junior student-athletes and will focus on developing them for their postgraduate career.
 
"As an athletic department, we are committed to creating an elite student-athlete experience at every level athletically and academically," said Damon Evans, Director of Athletics. "The Gossett Fellows program offers our student-athletes a groundbreaking way to pursue their goals and aspirations so they can achieve success in their future careers. This groundbreaking approach to student-athlete development helps us recruit and retain the best student-athletes who will become leaders beyond their athletic careers."
 
Student athletes will participate in the following curriculum topics: leadership development, equity and social justice, professional development, service learning and career management. The program will also allow student-athletes to get practical experience in their respective career industries  through an internship and a professional development trip.
 
Fourteen student-athletes, who are part of the Class of 2022, make up the new Gossett Fellows for this year. 
 
"I feel very grateful and blessed to be chosen to take part in the Gossett Fellows Program, said Justin Brown, a member of the 2022 class of Gossett Fellows. "It is an opportunity not many people get the chance to take advantage of. I look forward to all the new experiences in this program that will help me learn new things to set myself up for success in the future."
 
Brown and his class join 10 returning student-athletes from the class of 2021, who had a valuable experience in their first year as a Gossett Fellow. 
 
"Being a part of the Gossett Fellows program last year helped me learn how to apply what I was learning in school and the valuable lessons in athletics to get an internship in which I was valued," said Brooke DeBerdine, a member of the 2021 class of Gossett Fellows. "This experience and my internship helped me grow my brand. I'm excited to see what my senior year brings."
 
Following completion of the program, graduates will receive an honorarium to use towards their postgraduate career plans. Student athletes that graduate from the program will become members of the Terps Career Network, Maryland's student-athlete alumni network which will provide continued access to mentorships that will allow student athletes to continue their growth outside of Maryland.
 
The following student athletes comprise Maryland's Gossett Fellows for the year of 2020-21: 
 
Class of 2021: Brooke DeBerdine (Field Hockey), Catie May (Women's Lacrosse), Cheyenne Jones (Track and Field), Grace Griffin (Women's Lacrosse), Hunter Baxter (Wrestling), Julia Reicin (Track and Field), Laura Van Respaille (Women's Golf), Nadia Hackett (Track and Field), Taylor Wilson (Softball), Darryl Morsell (Men's Basketball). 
 
Class of 2022: Leksana Andrews (Gymnastics), Ryan Blumberg (Men's Soccer), Justin Brown (Football), Lena Capoccia (Women's Golf), Riley Donnelly (Field Hockey), Bibi Donraadt (Field Hockey), Kamryn Henderson (Track and Field), Will Koras (Men's Golf), Taylor Mason (Field Hockey), Mackenzie Morgan (Track and Field/Cross Country), Madison Oracion (Women's Soccer), James Rosenberry (Football), Elena Verticchio (Women's Golf), Darby Welsh (Women's Lacrosse), 

The Gossett Fellows Programs is one aspect of the innovative support model implemented by The Barry and Mary Gossett Center for Academic and Personal Excellence. The center focuses on a critical gap of student athlete development - career transition and professional success post-graduation. The center was established after a $21.25 million gift from the Gossett family in April of 2018.