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Future Initiative Creates Career Opportunities for Duke Student-Athletes
8/25/2026 3:00:00 PM | Athletics
DURHAM, N.C. – Duke student-athletes took advantage of career development opportunities in May through internships and immersion experiences with 14 organizations as part of the Duke Future Initiative, which pairs Blue Devils with alumni and industry leaders across the country.
Thirty-four Blue Devils participated in the 2026 program and gained professional experiences designed to fit within student-athlete schedules that can make traditional summer internships difficult to pursue. Duke's Future Initiative model provides concentrated professional experiences ranging from several days to flexible, multiple-week opportunities.
"This experience gave me a much better understanding of both the investment banking industry and the importance of building relationships," Anderson Kopp said regarding his time with Lincoln International. "I will take these lessons with me as I continue exploring future career opportunities."
"Duke student-athletes bring an extraordinary combination of talent and competitiveness to everything they do," said Managing Director, Global Head of Healthcare Investment Banking at Lincoln International and member of the Future Initiative advisory board Roddy O'Neill. "This summer was a great reminder of what is possible when you connect talent with the experience of the Duke alumni network."
This year's participants represented fencing, field hockey, football, golf, men's soccer, swimming, track and field/cross country, volleyball, women's soccer and wrestling and visited cities including Atlanta, Chicago, Fort Worth, New York, Raleigh and Washington.Â
"Sitting in on staff meetings and Zoom calls with agents for current high profile and highly marketable NFL players showed me how details are negotiated in real time and how much coordination goes into even a single player's camp," Derrick Brown Jr. said of his experience with the NFL Players Association.
"This idea of connection, of always being 'one phone call away' from somebody, will stay with me throughout my time at Duke and beyond, as I witnessed the power of networking firsthand," Avery Hamlin, who interned at Student Quarters in Atlanta, said. "Nearly every person we spoke with shared a story about how their network showed up for them when it mattered most."
For many participants, the immersion format provided an opportunity to explore potential career paths while beginning to build professional networks and gain firsthand exposure to a workplace environment.
"The Future Initiative gave these students a chance to step outside their comfort zones, explore new careers and build relationships that can last well beyond their time on campus,"Â O'Neill added. "It was incredibly rewarding to be part of the program and to see these Blue Devils embrace every opportunity with the same energy and commitment they bring to their sports."
2026 Duke Future Initiative Roster
- Vanessa Lin, fencing — Dr. Mike Lee, Pardee Hospital Department of Anesthesiology
- Sofia Fidalgo Schioppa, field hockey — Lincoln International
- Bradley Smith, football — Dunning Capital
- Landon Callahan, football — Fanatics
- Nate Sheppard, football — Fanatics
- Cosme Salas, football — Florida Freedom (PBR)
- Jake Taylor, football — Florida Freedom (PBR)
- Paxon Kettering, football — Lincoln International
- Gemyel Allen, football — Offscript/Revolt
- Bryce Davis, football — Offscript/Revolt
- Kaleb Lanier, football — Offscript/Revolt
- Tony Boggs, football — Samet
- Julius Columbus, football — Samet
- Kendall Johnson, football — SLT
- Ari Patu, football — Student Quarters
- Sampson Onuoha, football — Student Quarters
- Derrick Brown Jr., football — NFL PA
- Semaj Turner, football — SLT
- Martina Yu, golf — Artisan Partners
- Adrian Byasiima, men's soccer — Lincoln International
- Clare Logan, swimming — Artisan Partners
- Charlie Kulp, swimming — Lincoln International
- Anderson Kopp, swimming — Lincoln International
- Colin Mikulecky, swimming — Circumference Group
- Jonathan Horn, track and field — Dunning Capital
- Grace Geyer, track and field/cross country — Lincoln International
- Zoë Gillen-Malveaux, volleyball — Offscript/Revolt
- Avery Hamlin, volleyball — Student Quarters
- Jordan Wood, women's basketball — Starz
- Ellie White, women's lacrosse — Circumference Group
- Phoebe Goldthwaite, women's soccer — Dunning Capital
- Lauren Martinho, women's soccer — Lincoln International
- Owen McGrory, wrestling — Lincoln International
- Riley Rowan, wrestling — Duke Department of Orthopedic Surgery
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