Stockton University Athletics

Dogbey Attends NCAA Convention as Part of Immersion Program

Men's Track & Field | 1/25/2018 4:30:00 PM

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Galloway, NJ - Stockton University senior Omar Dogbey (Manalapan/Manalapan) attended the 2018 NCAA Convention in Indianapolis last week as part of the Division III Student Immersion Program. The initiative, which began in 2015, brings 40 ethnic minority students to the NCAA Convention, where they are exposed to Division III, its members and its governance process.
 
Dogbey applied for the grant during the fall and was selected in late October. The senior is a two-time NJAC Honorable Mention runner (2017 distance medley relay, 2016 4x200 relay) who has competed for Stockton in indoor and outdoor track & field over the past four years, primarily in the 200- and 400-meter runs, 400-meter hurdles and relays.
 
Dogbey and the student-athletes in the Division III Student Immersion Program were mentored by Kiki Jacobs, who is in her first year as the athletic director at Roger Williams University and boasts over 25 years of experience in Division III athletics. The group toured the Hall of Champions and attended a variety of information sessions and meetings.
 
Upon his return, Dogbey took some time to discuss his experience:
 
Can you describe your experience at the convention and some of the things that you did there?
It was an honor being able to represent not only Stockton University but the NJAC conference as well. My experience in the immersion program was exceptional. I think having a mentor that has a prominent role in D3 athletics was a positive. My mentor KiKi Jacobs is an athletic director and with her help I was able to network and speak to people I never would have gotten a chance to speak to.
 
I also attended the NCAA Honors Banquet. The Honors Banquet was another eye-opening experience. Being in the presence of so many current and former student-athletes really shows you how far you can go after your years of eligibility are over. I also was able to attend the legislative meeting and the NJAC conference meeting. I quickly realized how efficient our conference is because the meeting took no more than an hour while others in the program sat in their meeting for almost three hours.
 
What was your favorite part of the convention?
One of my favorite parts of my week was the ability to attend information sessions about the different areas of athletics. As a math major, I am currently studying to become an actuary. I've never really thought about a career in athletics besides being a coach. However, the information sessions opened my eyes to different opportunities in athletics.
 
For example, I sat in on the Risk Management in Athletics session. I was not aware that was even available. Not only did it pique my interest, it also fits right in line with what I want to do in the future. Another positive is the relationship that I made with the other student-athletes in the immersion program. It was a small group of people, so within a few days we grew into a family.
 
What did you learn at the convention that maybe changed your outlook about being a student-athlete?
The one thing the convention brought to light was how much work it takes it run a successful collegiate program. I have gained so much respect for athletic directors, assistant athletic directors, coaches, and staff. The pressure to win is typically high. In addition, athletic programs are responsible for increasing enrollment and fundraising. With all the being said, what shocked me the most is the lack of diversity at the top of athletics. Minorities are few and far between when it comes to the athletic director and commissioner positions. Programs such as the Student Immersion Program really show that in the future, upper management in athletics will diversify.