NASCAR Diversity Internship Program Welcomes 2015 Class

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Twenty of the best and brightest college students from across the country will descend on Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend as the sport introduces the 2015 NASCAR Diversity Internship Program (NDIP) class at NASCAR Sprint All-Star Weekend.

The interns come to NASCAR from as far north as the University of Minnesota and as far south as the University of Puerto Rico, and will take part in the 10-week, paid program, created to expose multicultural college students to employment opportunities within America’s number one motorsport.

As the NDIP grows in popularity, so has the number of internship roles at NASCAR and other companies within the industry, in the areas of engineering, finance, marketing, licensing and public relations. Hendrick Motorsports, Rev Racing, Pocono Raceway and Switch, a marketing agency, are among the companies participating in 2015.

“Since 2000, the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program has grown to become one of the premier internships in sports,” said Jim Cassidy, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations. “For NASCAR, the program is an important part of our efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace.”

Nearly 300 interns have participated in the NDIP since its inception, and many secured full-time jobs in motorsports following their internships. Recent graduates have found roles at NASCAR, International Speedway Corporation, Octagon and Toyota, among other companies tied to the industry. 

“The NASCAR Diversity Internship Program has proven to be an effective pipeline for hiring top talent across the industry,” said Paula Miller, NASCAR senior vice president and chief human resources officer. “We have several former interns who now have key roles in helping to grow our sport.”

Pedro Mojica, a graduate of The University of Texas at San Antonio, completed his NDIP internship in 2014 and now works full-time as an engineer for Toyota Racing Development.

“As an intern, I had the opportunity to become immersed in the world of NASCAR – a sport I was passionate about,” said Mojica, who also participated in the NASCAR Mentorship Program. “The NASCAR Diversity Internship Program provided me with a platform to launch my career in motorsports.”

Several former interns are now employed at NASCAR within multiple business units, including: Brandon Thompson, director, racing operations; Marvin Aylor Jr., manager, marketing; Lauren Houston, senior account executive, multicultural development; Kathryn Lee, senior coordinator, events; Jusan Hamilton, account executive, industry services; Ade Herbert, coordinator, communications; Jason Simmons, licensing assistant; and Cameron McCarty, pit road technician.

This weekend, the 2015 class will experience NASCAR 101 and receive guided tours of the NASCAR Research & Development Center, NASCAR Hall of Fame and Charlotte Motor Speedway before taking in Saturday’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, which will be broadcast on FOX Sports 1 at 7 p.m. ET.

The class includes the following students from colleges and universities across the country:

Intern

Internship Assignment

College or University

Hometown

Kent Booze

NASCAR Brand and Consumer Marketing

Dartmouth College

Spiro, Okla.

Karl Bostick

Octagon Marketing

Elon University

Englewood, N.J.

Adrienne Bright

NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications

Central Michigan University

Flint, Mich.

Nichole Dominguez

NASCAR Weekly and Touring

University of Central Florida

Daytona Beach, Fla.

Sydnei Fryson

Rev Racing PR/Marketing

Hampton University

Charleston, W.V.

James Harris

Hendrick Marketing/Business Development

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Apex, N.C.

 

Zubin Jhambani

NASCAR Marketing Research

Syracuse University

Udaipur (Rajasthan), India

Giridhar Kathiresan

NASCAR Digital Media

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Chennai (Tami Nadu), India

Victoria Kim

Pocono Raceway Marketing

Penn State University

Horsham, Pa.

Jordan Leatherman

Switch Marketing

Oklahoma State University

Muskogee, Okla.

Yuyi Li

NASCAR Industry Services

Duke University

Chapel Hill, N.C.

Bice Lizza

NASCAR Human Resources

Penn State University

Montville, N.J.

Jade McCrary

NASCAR Member Services

Florida A&M University

Daytona Beach, Fla.

Cole McGinnis

NASCAR Licensing

University of Iowa

Davenport, Ia.

Jasmine Neely

NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Charlotte, N.C.

Hakeem Onafowokan

NASCAR Legal

University of Minnesota

Minneapolis, Minn.

Alexandre Pendegrass

NASCAR Multicultural Development

Howard University

Dallas, Texas

Keyzza Plaza

NASCAR Production Engineering

University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez

Toa Alta, Puerto Rico

Tonya Vanderpool

NASCAR Finance

University of Central Florida

Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands

Ashleigh Young

NASCAR Productions

Oklahoma State University

Santa Ana, Calif.

NASCAR PR

Speedway Digest Staff
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