Pocklington Selected For Prestigious Internship
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas Razorbacks junior softball infielder Parker Pocklington has been selected by Nike, Inc. as the company’s new basketball sports marketing intern after an intensive nomination and interview process.
Pocklington is the second Razorback to have the opportunity to participate in the prestigious 12-week program at the company’s corporate headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon.
“I am thrilled to represent my family, my team, my university, and now the Nike brand, this upcoming summer,” Pocklington said. “This is an opportunity of a lifetime and I am blessed to be in this position.”
The selection process was lengthy and selective: Eight Razorback student-athletes were nominated for the internship by their head coaches in early Nov. 2015, and five potential candidates were selected to advance to the next round by the Student-Athlete Scholarship and Awards Committee.
The student-athlete qualifications for the internship was a junior, at minimum, with a 3.2 overall cumulative grade point average (GPA), possessing good character and is passionate about pursuing a career in sports.
After narrowing the candidate pool to three finalists, Nike conducted virtual presentations in December. Finalists were informed about the company and the internship program, and after submitting their applications, student-athletes went through an interview process lasting from January to March 2016.
The internship is set to take place from June 3 to August 21.
Pocklington, a recreation and sport management major, currently has a 3.84 GPA, was inducted twice into the SEC Honor Roll during her freshman and sophomore years, was on the President’s and Dean’s lists in 2015, and was a Lambda Pi Eta nominee in 2015.
“I am thrilled for Parker to have this opportunity and upcoming experience with the prestigious Nike Internship Program,” said Arkansas head softball coach Courtney Deifel. “She is an extremely hard worker and incredibly bright, so it is no surprise that she stood out and was selected after the application and interview process. We are really proud that she will be representing Arkansas Athletics and the Razorback Softball program.”
Flavia Araujo, a senior tennis player and business management major, was the first Razorback student-athlete selected into the Nike internship program in 2015. Araujo conducted a meeting before the selection process for all Arkansas student-athletes interested in pursuing the internship to share her experiences in the program.
“Working at Nike headquarters in Oregon was by far the best experience I could ask for to start my business career,” said Araujo. “Parker is the kind of student-athlete that Nike is looking for. She is driven, passionate, and has amazing life stories that relate to Nike’s values. She will be a great fit for the company and I’m excited to talk to her about her own experiences.”
Nike is the top sports apparel and footwear maker in the world, and is ranked among the top companies in several categories by leading business publications. Nike is ranked No. 9 by Fortune magazine in the annual “World’s Most Admired Companies” list, and No. 18 by Forbes magazine in the publication’s “World’s Most Valuable Brands” list. The company also is listed as the 106th company on the Fortune 500 list.
