Kubasik First Impact Program Members: Planning for the Future

The inaugural Kubasik First Impact Program commenced in June, providing second-year student-athletes an opportunity to better plan and prepare for their futures.

The official purpose of the program is to help second-year student-athletes understand the value of major selection through experiential education, exposure to careers and an opportunity to build career-ready skills. 

Softball player Amelia Lech, who struggled as a freshman to pick a major, saw the program as a fantastic opportunity for growth.

“I applied to this program to hopefully have more comfort about whatever field I’m going to and to have mentors to guide the way,” Lech said. “With a strong support system, I hope I’ll choose a major and be confident in what I’m doing.”

Terp gymnast Tasha Brozowski was attracted to the program even though she already chose a major.

“I applied for this program because it reaches out to student-athletes who don’t exactly know what they want to do in the future,” Brozowski said. “That stood out to me because, even though I do have my public health science major declared, I have no idea what I want to do in the medical field.”

The ideal candidate for the program is a first-generation college student and/or a student who has not declared a major and is exploring major options and career paths.

Football player Issac Bunyun checks all those boxes. 

Bunyun came into Maryland thinking he would go into engineering, but quickly became unsure about whether that path was his true calling.

“I became uncertain as I developed different interests in college,” Bunyun said. “The message of the program appealed to me in the sense that I could learn about different interests and industries to expand my toolbox.”

Bunyun is also a first-generation student. He saw firsthand how vital it is to have some extra guidance while navigating his plans for the future. 

“My older sister had no help in doing these types of professional development things, so having the opportunity to be part of this program is something I had to take advantage of,” Bunyun said.

Brozowski was sold on the opportunity for various micro-internships throughout the year that would help her figure out exactly what she likes and dislikes within the medical field. 

“I’m hoping to know exactly what I want to do by the end of the program,” Brozowski said. 

At the end of the program, program graduates have a guaranteed spot in the Maryland Made InTERPship Academy to spend the summer working in their selected field and getting hands-on experience. All graduates also receive $500 to put toward their professional goals such as testing preparation, certification costs, etc.

“To get your foot in the door in the real world, you really need those internship opportunities,” Lech said.”Just in case I can’t make it professionally in my sport, I’ll still have real world experience to take with me in the future.”

Bunyun, a junior, did two different inTerpships over the summer—one in the nonprofit sector and one in public relations. Both were incredibly meaningful experiences for him. 

“Those were such great opportunities and I’m hoping to expand my interests and learn more about different fields with the one I get this summer,” Bunyun said.

There are 12 student-athletes in the inaugural Kubasik cohort, with members from the football, gymnastics, men’s basketball, track & field, volleyball, men’s golf and softball teams. 

“It’s a really diverse group with people from all different sports,” Bunyun said. “It’s very diverse in the sense that I’m always learning from the person next to me. Everyone is really comfortable about sharing their own experiences.”

Brozowski, who did not know anyone else in the program at first besides her two gymnastics teammates, enjoys the small group size and the chance it provides for stronger relationships with the other student-athletes. 

“We’re getting to learn a lot more about each other,” Brozowski said. “It’s a really small group of people so if we want to get the most out of it, we will want to learn more about each other and what we all want to do, that way we can work together to achieve a common goal.”

Brozowski, Bunyun and Lech all sing high praises for the Kubasik Program staff, especially for the leader of the program Sophia Baur-Waisbord. 

“Sophia and the rest of the staff is really phenomenal,” Brozowski said. “They are really invested in us and our growth.”

The program had a few virtual meetings during the summer, but will kick into full swing once school begins. 

At the first meeting, the Kubasik family spoke to the members and shared their story as finance majors who ended up not going into that industry. 

“(The Kubasiks) really helped us understand that although we may choose a major now, it may not be what we end up doing in the future, so there’s no need to be hard on ourselves about it,” Bunyun said. “We just need to do what we’re interested in and keep pushing and something is gonna work out.”