Maryland Made Hosts Etiquette Dinner As Student-Athletes Gain Professional Confidence

Maryland Made recently hosted its inaugural Gossett Fellows Etiquette Dinner, an event designed to help student-athletes gain confidence in professional dining settings.

"This event impacted my career-readiness development by placing me in a real-life professional setting where I could practice both communication and dining etiquette skills,” men’s lacrosse’s Luca Ward said. “This unique experience helped me better understand the proper expectations of formal environments and reinforced the importance of presenting myself with confidence and awareness.”

The event was set up and run by Maryland Made’s Director of Student-Athlete Development, Daeze Alaeze. Maryland Made has worked alongside the Gossett Fellows Cohort all academic year, and the Etiquette Dinner marked its latest successful event. 

"I’m so honored to have planned and executed this event for our Gossett Fellows,” Alaeze said. “It’s especially meaningful to me because, as a former Division I student-athlete, I remember being in their shoes - this was the kind of experience that truly shifted my perspective. I’m incredibly grateful to our Maryland Made staff and our designated table leads for the time, energy, and care they put into enhancing the student-athlete experience!"

The Gossett Fellows Etiquette Dinner marked the introduction of a new, culminating experience designed to further support the career-readiness and professional development of first-year Fellows. The session provided student-athletes with the opportunity to actively apply the concepts and skills they had developed over a year of intentional monthly programming.

"Experiencing the Gossett Fellows Etiquette Dinner helped me better understand social and professional cues while meeting employers and high-level executives,” track and field’s Aaron Abedin said. “Although I had previously learned proper etiquette, this challenged me to apply those skills in a different more realistic setting, answering interview-like questions, while also maintaining proper dining etiquette."

Every table hosted a table lead from various businesses and careers who helped navigate the night and the conversations, and helped the student-athletes network.

"This experience helped prepare me for internships, interviews, and career events by giving me the opportunity to practice presenting myself and communicating in a professional setting,” softball’s Logan Turner said. “The etiquette dinner improved my confidence, body language, and my understanding of professional dining dynamics. It also enhanced my ability to respond to interview questions on the spot, and the feedback from our excellent table lead [Mojuba Shonekan] provided valuable insight on how to continue improving my skills!"

The Terps also hosted two special guests — Gail Elmore and Cynthia Schollard — who gave their thoughts on the successful night as the student-athletes grew their portfolios. 

“The best part was watching the students interact with each other and with table leads,” they said. “They were all so wide-eyed and excited to engage in the program. It is refreshing to be in the midst of so much optimism. So often, student-athletes have had their lives programmed, even to the point of what to eat. This program helps the students navigate what many non student-athletes also must: navigating life after sports.”

The two added a general message to all student-athletes about preparing for career readiness: “Know that student-athletes are highly-valued employees. Do your research, be authentic, stay disciplined, and don’t be afraid to take calculated risks.”

In a structured, real-world setting, students practiced professional dining etiquette, engaged in meaningful conversation, and built confidence navigating environments that mirror future interview and networking experiences, thereby enhancing their student-athlete experience.

"I am usually pretty quiet and tend to listen more than speak, but this event really helped push me to step outside of my comfort zone and connect with other athletes,” men’s golf’s Manny Nakatini said. “One thing I learned is that you don't need to be someone you're not in conversations or interviews. Being yourself makes it easier to communicate naturally and build connections with others - because no one knows your story more than you do."

“One of the most important things I learned about balancing eating and participating in conversation was how to pace yourself with the rest of the table to ensure you're not eating too fast or too slow,” women’s track and field’s Cayden Justice said. “There are small things you can do like breaking your bread into smaller pieces that help you stay engaged in the conversation while you eat.”

The event was the first of its kind, but Maryland Made expects to host it in the coming years with future Gossett Fellows student-athletes.