SAN DIEGO – The Aztecs Going Pro program looks back at the 2022-2023 academic year filled with major accomplishments for San Diego State Student-Athletes.
While being competitive on the field and in the classroom, the Aztecs were also prepared for life after SDSU as its graduating student-athletes participated in over 64 hours of content related to civic engagement, personal growth, and career development through the Aztecs Going Pro (AGP) program.
"I'm proud of the work our department continues to provide around developing life skills for our student-athletes," John David Wicker, SDSU's Director of Intercollegiate Athletics said. "Our program is best in class within the NCAA and our staff delivers meaningful content for our students to ensure they graduate SDSU and are ready to thrive in life after college."
Of the graduating seniors, 15 student-athletes are already employed at companies such as Insight Global, San Diego Junior Golf Association, Fidelity Investments, Federated Insurance, and Eating Recovery Center.
One of our new initiatives this past year was the inaugural AGP Summer Internship. The AGP Summer Internship Program is a paid, eight-week internship opportunity designed exclusively for student-athletes at SDSU. The goal of the program is to provide student-athletes with professional and transferable work experience by allowing them to intern in one of the various offices of the San Diego State Athletics Department.
"I am incredibly proud of what our graduating seniors have accomplished during their time at San Diego State." said Danielle Kelly, Associate Athletic Director of Student-Athlete Development. "They have worked extremely hard both in and outside their respective sports, taking advantage of our Aztecs Going Pro program to help prepare for life after SDSU. They have developed many skills and resources they will be able to use to become leaders and excel in the workplace and their communities, including a strong network of Aztec alumni and supporters that have helped them start their careers. We are grateful for our 142 different Aztec alumni, professionals, and supporters who have helped our student-athletes prepare for a successful transition to life after SDSU."
Out of the graduating seniors, 30 student-athletes completed an internship or career-related work experience during their time at San Diego State. Reflecting on the importance of this preparation, one senior track & field student-athlete commented. "The Aztecs Going Pro program has helped me prepare for life after graduation in so many ways, including resume building and editing, mock interviews, and ample opportunities to network with other professionals. The mock interviews and networking events really helped to prepare me for the graduate school interviews that I had this semester. I felt more confident in my interviewing skills after successfully completing the Senior Send-Off AGP class."
"I would like to mention the AGP staff because they have helped me immensely with building my professional skills and have done an amazing job developing AGP. They helped me communicate effectively with my soon-to-be employer and gave me advice on how to prepare myself for interviews. In addition, they have helped me gain confidence in my leadership and public speaking skills through the opportunities they provided me with, such as participating on panels and giving a speech at a pre-game alumni event. The staff's work and constant encouragement has been invaluable to prepare me for my postgraduate journey." A senior women's golf student-athlete explained.
Many of our Aztecs are in pursuit of a professional sports career – 20 students plan to play in the NFL, NBA, PGA, or WTA. Another forty-six percent of seniors are looking ahead at medical school, law school, and graduate school programs across the country.
What Aztec student-athletes are saying:
"Helped me think about life after athletics and prepare for it in advance." - Men's Soccer, Senior
"AGP has helped me develop career skills, adulting skills, and post-athletics transition. I feel better prepared for life post-undergrad than I would have if I did not have AGP." - Swim & Dive, Senior
"It has given me an opportunity to truly consider what I will be doing after graduation as I come to transition into the real world." - Baseball, Senior
For more information about Four-Year Student-Athlete Development Program, Aztecs Going Pro please visit GoAztecs.com/AGP or contact the Associate Athletic Director in Student-Athlete Development, Danielle Kelly at dmkelly@sdsu.edu