Kubasik First Impact Program Ready For Year Two

Now in its second year, the Kubasik First Impact Program welcomed a new group of second year students this summer. The program provides second-year student-athletes an opportunity to better plan and prepare for their futures through unique experiences and skill-building opportunities. 

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. 

One of the new members of the program is sophomore Maia Lee of the gymnastics team.

“I'm currently majoring in Neuroscience on the Pre-Med track, though I'm also in the process of adding an Immersive Media Design major to complete a dual degree program,” Lee said. “As of right now, I'm not entirely sure of a specific career path so I'm keeping my mind and options open by pursuing a rigorous and diverse course load.”

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. Lee knew she was interested in the Kubasik program to help her find her career path and set herself up for future success throughout her college career and beyond.

“When I first heard about the Kubasik Program, I was immediately excited,” Lee said. “This program would provide me with opportunities to explore different career paths, as well as improve my professional skills, including networking, interview skills, and teamwork. I'm looking forward to being exposed to a variety of career paths and hopefully gaining a better idea of what I want to do in the future.”

Many student-athletes in the program plan to use it to help improve upon lifeskills that will help them down the road.

“The Kubasik Program looked appealing to me because it was an opportunity to improve in things such as public speaking and I’d get to meet people with similar interests and goals to me,” wrestler Anthony Bradley said. “I’m most excited about getting to meet new people and help ready myself for a career in the future!”

There are 17 members of the program from nine different teams this year. In the Spring of each semester, the Maryland Made staff markets this program to Coaches and Academic Athletic Counselors to identify student-athletes that fit the profile of this program. After each student-athlete applies for the program, Coordinator of Student-Athlete Development, Sydney Anderson, meets with each of them to go over how this program will assist them during their second-year and beyond. It’s a great way for her to get to know the next cohort and build programming around their skillset but also identify how to match them with a mentor and job shadowing experiences. 

“My favorite part of this program is watching the growth of the students first hand,” Anderson said. “In early August, I had my initial meetings with the new cohort. Now that the academic year has begun, the students will take part in numerous sessions that contribute to their personal and professional growth and give them the tools to craft their 5-year game plan.”

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.