Another Successful WILL Season Underway

Written by Athletic Communications Assistant, Emily Polglaze

The alarm chimes just before 7 a.m., and it's off to class. And another class. A lunch break. Another class, which runs right up to afternoon practice. Add in weight lifting, and then a team dinner. Sometimes student groups or study tables come before heading home for schoolwork and recharging for the next day.

This is the life of a student-athlete, and not much time is left in the day to think about life post-athletics. This is where W.I.L.L. comes in.

W.I.L.L., or Women Investing in Leadership and Learning, is a program to empower young women through critical job competencies, customized mentoring, and transformational leadership.

The program began as a partnership between the University and Schwan's Company in 2014 when the University saw a need, and began with just one team, women's soccer.

"We recognized that there's not as many opportunities for women to go pro in their sport, yet they're spending just as much time practicing and in competition. And as a result, unfortunately, a lot of times female student-athletes are not in the same position as their peers to compete for jobs that are available upon graduation," Julie Thiel, VP of Human Resources, Learning & Development, and Diversity & Inclusion at Schwan's said. "What we were seeking to do was to be part of that solution to help these young women understand and develop their leadership skills and their holistic skills in preparation for what's next after college."

Four years later, the W.I.L.L. program has branched out to have student-athletes from the women's soccer, gymnastics, hockey, tennis, golf and cross country and track teams and has developed a curriculum that covers three pillars over a student-athlete's time with the program: character, teamwork and achievement. Mentors and mentees meet for five sessions each academic year, and workshops and activities range from character-building to resume critiques and mock interviews. Student-athletes also hone in on transferable skills that they've already learned on their respective teams.

"Some major skills I've learned as a student-athlete are how to be a leader and how to work effectively with other students and student-athletes and teammates," Maggie Heggerston, a senior on the women's golf team, said. "Since we already have those, that's kind of what makes us perfect for these positions, so [the mentors] at W.I.L.L. are just trying to transfer those into what the business world is looking for."

W.I.L.L. is unique from other professional development events and programs on campus as it is focused on female student-athletes connecting with professional women in the Twin Cities workforce. Students of all academic disciplines attend the program, and its mentors also come from a variety of professions and skill sets.

"We have a very diverse major background. We have athletes who are engineers, pre-elementary, in business at Carlson or in the design school," Sophie Skarzysnki, a senior on the women's hockey team said. "No matter what their degree is, I think the W.I.L.L. program will allow the women on our team to feel prepared and confident going into the workforce."

Although the program is aimed at student-athlete development, Schwan's and mentors also benefit from participation. Thiel said that mentors are able to give back and build relationships, and Schwan's advances its dedication to female leadership and can also form a talent pipeline from the University to its company.

Jenna Conzemius, a redshirt sophomore on the women's cross country and track team, was able to find a summer internship at Schwan's through the W.I.L.L. program, and even added an HR minor to her degree after the experience.

"When I met Julie, I was so struck by the way that she was able to communicate her ideas and stand up for women and women in leadership," Conzemius said. "And I liked the values that Schwan's stood for, a company that's going to look to student-athletes and appreciate the time and effort that we put into our sport, working hard and being well-rounded in people."

Over half of Minnesota's women's teams are currently participating in the W.I.L.L. program and coaches are excited to get their student-athletes involved with our other teams to be added in the years to come.

This gives student-athletes a new opportunity to bond with mentors and each other.

"Everyone has practice at different times and is always running in different directions, and it doesn't give us the chance to maybe network or connect as much," Conzemius said. "I think that W.I.L.L. creates another touchpoint that is a natural relationship-building atmosphere, and I think that the more teams that are added, the more comfortable it will feel."

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