Jovani Hernandez NIKE, Inc. and sport have been synonymous with one another for the past 57 years, and while the North American institution hasn’t forgotten its roots in higher education (in particular the University of Oregon), it’s been limited by nationwide rules and codes as to what it can and can’t do. Today, however, the Swoosh has announced the launch of a student-athlete sponsorship initiative meant to help both established talent at some of the country’s top schools, while website helping these individuals give back to their communities.
Reilyn Turner, currently a sophomore on the University of California, Los Angeles’ (UCLA) women’s soccer team, is the first student-athlete sponsored through the program. Although the 19-year-old’s impressive first-year season with the West Coast university caught Nike’s attention (she was voted Pac-12 Freshman of the Year), it was Turner’s passion to pay things forward that ultimately led the Oregon-headquartered company to select her for its game-changing program.
“As a Black woman and Mexican American,” said Turner in an official announcement shared by the brand, “I think about those who have paved the way for me and how they used their platforms to create so much change, even beyond sport. I hope to be a role model for those around me and those after me, and I’m so excited to be a part of what Nike is bringing to the future of women’s sport.”
The full scope of Turner’s sponsorship has yet to pan out, but the first plan of action is to share time and resources with LA-based community organizations striving to make a difference in the lives of local children. Regardless of what else the sophomore forward accomplishes on the pitch, she’s already a champion off of it.
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Source: Nike News
