Fresno State Athletics
Photo by: Kayla Barber
Fall programming supports Bulldogs
12/16/2021 1:30:00 PM | Bulldog Built
Bulldog Built – Fresno State’s Student-Athlete Development program – completed a successful series of fall events, which provided important information and connections.
FRESNO, Calif. – Fresno State Athletics is committed to providing a comprehensive program to ensure our student-athletes are successful athletically, academically and in their future endeavors.
This past fall, Bulldog student-athletes participated in a series of events in the department's Bulldog Built program, which supports the holistic development of every Bulldog student-athlete for long-term success.
Career Networking Night
Bulldog Built – the Fresno State Student-Athlete Development program – wrapped up its fall event calendar in November with a career and networking night. Student-athletes had the opportunity to practice professional networking skills and learn more about their fields of interest from industry professionals.
Over 50 community members, including some former Bulldog student-athletes, participated and shared their career journeys with over 110 student-athletes who are nearing the completion of their degrees.
"I'm so grateful to the community of professionals that came out to provide their wisdom and expertise to our young people," Fresno State Director of Athletics Terry Tumey said. "We have incredible individuals in our area who care deeply about our Bulldog student-athletes and the networking night really allowed these community relationships to shine."
Professionals and industries represented included business owners and entrepreneurs, physician assistants and clinical psychologists, financial advisors, sales managers, teachers, engineers, marketing executives and more. Student-athletes were paired with industry leaders based on their career aspirations and interests and rotated through tables to maximize their connections. These experienced professionals provided insight into how Fresno State student-athletes can best prepare themselves to begin their career upon graduation.
Leadership Development
Fall programming kicked off in September with an interactive and engaging presentation by Dr. Derek Greenfield.
As part of a team building exercise, Dr. Greenfield asked for a volunteer to sing a solo rendition of "Lean on Me", and men's basketball's Kyle Harding quickly stepped up. When prompted for additional singers to join him, every student-athlete joined in a moment of fellowship and support, not allowing him to stand alone.
With over 30 years of leadership and educational experience, Dr. Greenfield's powerful presentation challenged student-athletes to take an introspective approach to maintaining a positive attitude, strategizing for success and achieving their dreams.
"The Dr. Greenfield presentation was a great way for me to bond with other Fresno State student-athletes in a way I never thought possible," Olivia Ferro (Equestrian, Class of 2024) said. "I am now closer with my teammates than I ever would have been without the help of Dr. Greenfield, and I have a newfound understanding of trust. "
Financial Literacy
October focused on the foundations of financial literacy with a presentation on personal finance and cash management from Jed Collins.
Jed Collins, a former NFL player and Certified Financial Planner, engaged student-athletes through an exercise called Money Buckets. Utilizing education on budgets, taxes, retirement and investments, students applied their individual financial scenarios within the Money Buckets workbook.
Student-athletes had the opportunity to ask questions and seek advice from Jed throughout the presentation, equipping them with a better understanding of basic financial literacy concepts for their present and future financial needs.
"After Jed's program I had a better understanding of being financially responsible," Daveion Robinson (Track & Field, Class of 2023) said. "Being able to apply a financial plan to my personal needs has helped me to be more disciplined financially."
Bulldog Built refreshes programming
Bulldog Built is designed to further enhance the well-being of student-athletes and provide opportunities for them to grow holistically, both personally and professionally.
With programming centered on character formation, professional development, and community engagement, Bulldog Built prepares Fresno State student-athletes to enter into their postgraduate life with leadership skills, confidence, integrity, and a drive to succeed.
"The refined structure and programming of our Bulldog Built initiative is an exciting addition to our student-athletes' development and preparation for life after Fresno State," Fresno State senior associate athletics director Carrie Coll said. "This fall's events were a great reset to the focused investment in their growth as individuals and the comprehensive Bulldog Built program will add tremendous value to their experience while at Fresno State and their success beyond."
As part of Fresno State's commitment to investing in every student-athlete, Carlie Corrigan was hired into the newly created position of Director of Student-Athlete Development. Corrigan was a women's basketball student-athlete at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale where she received her undergraduate degree in sport administration and interned with the Salukis academic advising department.
Following her time in Carbondale, Corrigan was an assistant athletic academic counselor at the University of Memphis and supported the P.A.W.S (Preparing Athletes for Winning Success) student-athlete development elements like the career and networking night, etiquette dinner, resume reviews, and end-of-year awards celebration. While at Memphis, she also received her master of science in leadership and policy studies.
Most recently, Corrigan was an academic advisor and learning specialist with the Bulldogs where she oversaw academic, mentor and tutoring areas and assisted in resume writing, internship placement, and career planning for student-athletes. She was highly involved in special projects and events like the National Girls and Women in Sports Day youth clinic, welcome back dinner and recruiting events.
"Fresno State Athletics: The Pride of the Valley" – The Bulldog Foundation creates championship experiences for Fresno State student-athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition, and in life. To become a BDF member, please visit bulldogfoundation.org.
This past fall, Bulldog student-athletes participated in a series of events in the department's Bulldog Built program, which supports the holistic development of every Bulldog student-athlete for long-term success.
Bulldog Built – the Fresno State Student-Athlete Development program – wrapped up its fall event calendar in November with a career and networking night. Student-athletes had the opportunity to practice professional networking skills and learn more about their fields of interest from industry professionals.
Over 50 community members, including some former Bulldog student-athletes, participated and shared their career journeys with over 110 student-athletes who are nearing the completion of their degrees.
"I'm so grateful to the community of professionals that came out to provide their wisdom and expertise to our young people," Fresno State Director of Athletics Terry Tumey said. "We have incredible individuals in our area who care deeply about our Bulldog student-athletes and the networking night really allowed these community relationships to shine."
Professionals and industries represented included business owners and entrepreneurs, physician assistants and clinical psychologists, financial advisors, sales managers, teachers, engineers, marketing executives and more. Student-athletes were paired with industry leaders based on their career aspirations and interests and rotated through tables to maximize their connections. These experienced professionals provided insight into how Fresno State student-athletes can best prepare themselves to begin their career upon graduation.
"The relationships I was able to make at Fresno State's Networking Night really opened the doors to my career," Dante Adkins Jr. (Football, Class of 2023) said. "As a student-athlete, I always worried about how I was going to broaden my network and work to gain experience for my career in the real world. Through this event I was able to meet people in my career field who were interested in who I am and wanted to help me succeed, which gave me an extreme amount of confidence to continue to pursue a career in Physical Therapy."
Leadership Development
Fall programming kicked off in September with an interactive and engaging presentation by Dr. Derek Greenfield.
As part of a team building exercise, Dr. Greenfield asked for a volunteer to sing a solo rendition of "Lean on Me", and men's basketball's Kyle Harding quickly stepped up. When prompted for additional singers to join him, every student-athlete joined in a moment of fellowship and support, not allowing him to stand alone.
With over 30 years of leadership and educational experience, Dr. Greenfield's powerful presentation challenged student-athletes to take an introspective approach to maintaining a positive attitude, strategizing for success and achieving their dreams.
"The Dr. Greenfield presentation was a great way for me to bond with other Fresno State student-athletes in a way I never thought possible," Olivia Ferro (Equestrian, Class of 2024) said. "I am now closer with my teammates than I ever would have been without the help of Dr. Greenfield, and I have a newfound understanding of trust. "
Financial Literacy
October focused on the foundations of financial literacy with a presentation on personal finance and cash management from Jed Collins.
Jed Collins, a former NFL player and Certified Financial Planner, engaged student-athletes through an exercise called Money Buckets. Utilizing education on budgets, taxes, retirement and investments, students applied their individual financial scenarios within the Money Buckets workbook.
Student-athletes had the opportunity to ask questions and seek advice from Jed throughout the presentation, equipping them with a better understanding of basic financial literacy concepts for their present and future financial needs.
"After Jed's program I had a better understanding of being financially responsible," Daveion Robinson (Track & Field, Class of 2023) said. "Being able to apply a financial plan to my personal needs has helped me to be more disciplined financially."
Bulldog Built is designed to further enhance the well-being of student-athletes and provide opportunities for them to grow holistically, both personally and professionally.
With programming centered on character formation, professional development, and community engagement, Bulldog Built prepares Fresno State student-athletes to enter into their postgraduate life with leadership skills, confidence, integrity, and a drive to succeed.
"The refined structure and programming of our Bulldog Built initiative is an exciting addition to our student-athletes' development and preparation for life after Fresno State," Fresno State senior associate athletics director Carrie Coll said. "This fall's events were a great reset to the focused investment in their growth as individuals and the comprehensive Bulldog Built program will add tremendous value to their experience while at Fresno State and their success beyond."
As part of Fresno State's commitment to investing in every student-athlete, Carlie Corrigan was hired into the newly created position of Director of Student-Athlete Development. Corrigan was a women's basketball student-athlete at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale where she received her undergraduate degree in sport administration and interned with the Salukis academic advising department.
Following her time in Carbondale, Corrigan was an assistant athletic academic counselor at the University of Memphis and supported the P.A.W.S (Preparing Athletes for Winning Success) student-athlete development elements like the career and networking night, etiquette dinner, resume reviews, and end-of-year awards celebration. While at Memphis, she also received her master of science in leadership and policy studies.
Most recently, Corrigan was an academic advisor and learning specialist with the Bulldogs where she oversaw academic, mentor and tutoring areas and assisted in resume writing, internship placement, and career planning for student-athletes. She was highly involved in special projects and events like the National Girls and Women in Sports Day youth clinic, welcome back dinner and recruiting events.
"Fresno State Athletics: The Pride of the Valley" – The Bulldog Foundation creates championship experiences for Fresno State student-athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition, and in life. To become a BDF member, please visit bulldogfoundation.org.
Bulldog Built Testimonial
Tuesday, April 16