Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus UCLA on March 29, 2026 , Loss , 58, to, 70
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Final
Women's Basketball
58
vs UCLA
70
Trio Get Key Experience with Internships
7/27/2016 9:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
By Jon Brienza, Duke Sports Information
DURHAM, N.C.-- It may be summer, but a few of Duke's student-athletes must have missed the memo. While the majority of college students around the country are currently soaking in the sun, vacationing, or just taking advantage of some much needed down time, Erin Mathias, Rebecca Greenwell and Oderah Chidom of Duke women's basketball were out working on their crafts away from the hardwood.
The three aforementioned basketball student-athletes each held demanding internships this summer that challenged them in all of the right ways. Whether it was delving into the fashion industry, experiencing the world of marketing and promotions, or learning what it takes to spark change and better the community, each of these women took substantial steps towards their future careers.
Erin Mathias is a 6'4˝ center entering her junior season with the Blue Devils. When she's not protecting the rim, the former Miss Pennsylvania Basketball Player of the Year has a serious zeal for fashion. It is something that she has wanted to be a part of for quite some time.
“It's always been something I've enjoyed,” said Mathias. “Two-years ago I actually went out and got a sewing machine and started doing my own work and designing. After my basketball career, it's something that I can definitely see myself doing.”
Over the past two-months, Mathias has been putting her long-time passion to work at Harbison, a New York City fashion company, whose founder, Charles Harbison, was a former graduate of N.C. State University in Raleigh. She was able to experience some of the hands-on dynamics associated with working for a real-life fashion firm. Her main responsibility was to help oversee order requests from stylists, from the initial order to the finished package. This included making sure the correct styles and quantities were in stock; touching up the requested material; packaging and finalizing the order; and dealing with any conflicts in between.
Mathias' experience wasn't only limited to what she did while inside Harbison's four walls, however. Just living in New York City, one of the fashion stables of the world was an adventure in and of itself.
“I definitely enjoyed it,” commented Mathias. “It was really interesting being in New York City. It was very busy. A lot going on all the time and it was so much different than here. I didn't have a car so I just took the subway everywhere and walked. It was a great experience.”
So what inspired the Pittsburgh native to purchase a sewing machine two-years ago in order to start making her own designs?
“I would say my mom has always been into fashion,” Mathias offered. “I guess she kind of rubbed off on me a little bit.”
Getting a start in fashion could sometimes be a challenge. Exposing your product to the public normally starts with family and friends volunteering to be your test-subjects. When asked if she has made any material that her teammates have worn, Mathias responded with a smile,
“Not that they have worn,” said Mathias. “A few things that I've worn myself, but stuff is in the works. Within the next couple of years, I'd like to kind of start getting more things out there.”
After her playing days are over, Mathias has sizeable aspirations for herself as it relates to her future fashion career – as she should.
“I would love to have my own line at display shows at New York Fashion Week, Paris Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week, and all of the other various fashion weeks,” commented Mathias.
Well, this summer was a giant step in the right direction.
Shifting from the art of fashion to the science of marketing, starting guard, Rebecca Greenwell, is finishing up her internship this summer with Intrepid Marketing Group. Intrepid is a full-service marketing firm that does a lot of business in a variety of different sports. Greenwell is a basketball-lifer and hopes to play professionally after she graduates. But when it's all said and done, she would like to do something that is closely related to the game, which is why she chose to do this particular internship.
“I've just been trying to figure out what I'd be interested in,” said Greenwell. “I've always wanted to work in sports somehow for a career. I'm not sure if this is going to be my career, but I helped out with [Duke marketing and promotions] last year and that was really fun. I enjoyed working with the different sports and seeing the behind the scenes aspects of it and so I wanted to do a summer internship with someone else to see a different side.”
Throughout her time with Intrepid, Greenwell has gained experience with many of the useful skills that it takes to be successful in the marketing and promotion field, including assisting in the writing of press releases and blogs while also conducting research for the firm. One of her most important responsibilities, however, is running the Intrepid tent at each “Wind Down Wednesday” event in Cary, N.C. 
“Wind Down Wednesday's” are functions held every Wednesday throughout the course of the summer, in which there is live music and other forms of free entertainment for adults. Intrepid sets up a tent each week, and Greenwell is tasked with the assignment to promote the business in person and to answer any questions that potential customers may have.
College athletes simply just do not have the same availability to involve themselves in a wealth of extracurricular activities as the typical college student does, so any time an opportunity aligns itself at just the right moment, it is vital for the student-athlete to take advantage of it. Greenwell admitted that this opportunity to be hands-on, as opposed to just learning in a classroom, was a refreshing change.
“Yeah, it was definitely helpful to get real experience because you can only learn so much from classes and books,” commented Greenwell. “But actually being in it and seeing day-to-day is really helpful in getting a better understanding of it.”
Greenwell has some promising years of basketball in front of her, but down the line when her playing days are over, she still wants to keep sports at the forefront of whatever it is she ends up doing.
“I just love being around sports somehow,” said Greenwell. “I think it would be cool to work for a bigger league like the NFL or NBA. Just being closely related to it in some way would be great.”
Greenwell's internship this summer at IMG definitely gave her a valuable taste as to what will be expected of her should she ever choose to work in the marketing department for a professional or collegiate organization.
In a vastly different direction, Oderah Chidom devoted her time this summer by getting her feet wet in a non-profit organization called the Jaime Kirk Hahn Foundation. The foundation serves to pair young leaders with existing community-based organizations who work on the issues directly related to impacting the communities in which they are located. One of the areas that foundation focuses its efforts in is Southeast Raleigh, which is where Chidom was assigned to work.
“My non-profit project is Southeast Raleigh Promise,” said Chidom. “Southeast Raleigh is a very low-income, under-resourced, under-privileged community. Predominantly, Black and Latino. And the statistics in terms of education are terrible. They're building a charter school within Southeast Raleigh from K-8 and putting 74-units of affordable housing on-site. My job is the communication piece with the community: convening dinners and public outreach.”
Chidom, a public policy major, admitted that before her experience with the Jaime Kirk Hahn Foundation she did not know a great deal about communications, but the ability to learn from the people she worked with in the field was extremely beneficial as it enabled her to widen her own social network.
“I'm also partnered with mentors,” commented Chidom. “I meet with Tory and Terrence Holt and Doug Warf, the VP of Marketing for the Carolina Hurricanes. Just having those people in your back pocket is pretty cool.”
It is not every day that a premier college athlete decides to utilize his or her summer being a part of something that is much bigger than themselves, but Chidom is the exception. When asked what it was that inspired her to volunteer her time and effort for such a great cause, the senior forward credits where she came from. 
“I don't know, but I just love social justice and I love education reform,” said Chidom. “I just feel like every child should have equal education despite your family's situation. And just trying to combat that is pretty neat. And where I come from [Oakland, Calif.] and my story kind of influences it. It's pretty neat.”
Chidom's eagerness to learn how things work behind the scenes is very telling of her character. In her time with the foundation, she took advantage of an opportunity to shadow a Raleigh lobbyist which really gave her a first-hand insight into how things actually work.
“Just understanding how decisions are being made and who's responsible behind it and how much the community actually has an impact in what's going on is really neat,” said Chidom.
Chidom's desire to improve the quality of life for human beings from all corners of the earth is not commonly seen amongst people that have a lot going for them, especially for young successful college athletes that can so easily be consumed with other trivial opportunities that are thrown their way regularly. No matter what her future holds, the premise of it will be to do whatever she can to help those in need.
“I know I have a knack for doing the right thing and trying to help people out,” said Chidom. “Social justice is really near and dear to my heart. I also love education. Not necessarily being a teacher, but I like doing something behind the scenes like political reform.”
A lot of people recognize that certain communities need assistance, but few actually do something about it. This summer, Chidom volunteered her time and energy with the Jaime Kirk Hahn Foundation, and both parties are extremely thankful for it.
All three of these young women, Erin Mathias, Rebecca Greenwell and Oderah Chidom, demonstrated how to be consummate student-athletes. While they could have taken it slow this summer to prepare their bodies for the upcoming season, they chose to, instead, step out of their comfort zones and challenge themselves in ways that will pay off in the long-run.
Players Mentioned
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