Zamora Selected for NCAA Division III Student Immersion Program

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Crystal Zamora (Jr., M, Woodburn, OR/Woodburn Academy) from the Willamette University women's soccer team has been selected to participate in the NCAA Division III Student Immersion Program. Zamora and other student-athletes chosen for the program will attend the 2018 NCAA Convention from Jan. 17-20 in Indianapolis. A total of 40 student-athletes from ethnic minority groups will be involved in the Student Immersion Program, which is scheduled to take place during the convention.

Participants in the program will learn about NCAA Division III and how the process works to pass new NCAA legislation. All athletes in the Student Immersion Program will complete a DiSC (Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, Conscientiousness) personal assessment tool. The DiSC results will be a starting point for discussing behavioral differences and will also help each student-athlete learn about their own motivations and style of interacting with others.

The Student Immersion Program also includes a mentorship program that helps student-athletes learn about careers in coaching and athletic administration. Mentors will help participants in the program develop their skills while making plans for career advancement.

"This will be a great opportunity for me to expand my experiences and knowledge in regards to NCAA coaching, as well as to help begin in assisting the diversification of the NCAA," Zamora said.

Launched in 2015, the NCAA Division III Student Immersion Program is designed to develop talented ethnic minority candidates for jobs in intercollegiate athletics with a focus on coaching and administrative jobs in NCAA Division III.

Zamora is in her third season as a member of the women's soccer team at Willamette. She has played in five games this season. The Bearcats own a 10-4-2 overall record and will return to action this evening, Wed., Oct. 25 with a Northwest Conference game at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. Game time is set for 7 p.m. (PDT). Willamette, which defeated L&C 3-1 on Sept. 27, is 7-4-1 in the NWC.