“Without the Emerging Leaders Program I would not have had this opportunity. The internship with the Durham Bulls/Emerging Leaders set me up for success…”
– Recent Emerging Leaders Intern Phoenix Saunders
One of CBC’s Emerging Leaders interns is heading to New York for the summer. Phoenix Saunders worked and learned at the Durham Bulls this past fall and that experience has helped her land an internship with the NFL!
Saunders interned with the Durham Bulls in the Operations and Special Events Departments, as well as Corp Human Resources last fall through the inaugural Emerging Leaders Program. Focused on HBCU students, the partnership between Capitol Broadcasting and Leadership Triangle combines hands-on learning in CBC specific departments and workshops led by LT coaches.
The NC Central University student was one of ten selected for the CBC/LT opportunity and garnered much praise from the staffers who worked with her.
“Phoenix was awesome to work with last season,” said Corp HR Recruiter/Generalist Na’Tasia Robinson. “She is mature, intelligent, resourceful, and motivated. She assisted with recruiting, interviewing, hosting/planning job fairs. She got along with everyone and fit in well with our team culture here at the Bulls.”
DBBC Assistant General Manager of Operations Scott Strickland echoed Robinson’s praise for their Emerging Leaders intern.
“It’s no surprise,” said Strickland on learning about Saunders’ NFL internship. “The first impression you immediately get from meeting Phoenix is how mature she is. Mature beyond her years. Combine that with her consistent state, never too high or too low, and that’s what so many employers are looking for and value these days.”
“We saw that Phoenix was a rockstar and has a bright future ahead of her and her obtaining the internship at the NFL is a testament to what we saw in Phoenix when she worked with us.”
– Corp HR Recruiter/Generalist Na’Tasia Robinson
Saunders will be interning at NFL headquarters in NYC for 10 weeks from June through August.
“Over the course of the summer I will be working alongside the Talent Acquisition teams and Talent Development teams,” she explained. “This internship will provide me with the opportunity to gain exposure to talent sourcing, talent mapping, project management, and internal hiring processes.”
Saunders is poised to garner much knowledge through the NFL internship. In her time at the Bulls, she proved that she takes advantage of every opportunity to learn.
“Phoenix was very proactive and took initiative to get things done,” said DBBC Director of Special Events Sasha Moore, who helped mentor Saunders during her internship at CBC. “She was a great addition to the Bulls, and we were lucky to have her! I have no doubt she will be successful in her new role, and I wish her nothing but the best.”
The college senior will be building on the skills and information she learned through her Emerging Leaders internship.
“This NFL internship will provide a strong foundational knowledge of recruiting operations, learning and development, and internal stakeholder management,” Saunders continued. “Gaining as much knowledge about HR is my main goal for the summer.”
She will be able to build on the skills she learned through CBC and LT and has the attitude to go far.
“I saw how capable Phoenix was, so I gave her a special project,” explained Robinson. “She managed the Employee of the Month program for the seasonal gameday employees. She took ownership of that project, and she executed it successfully. Her willingness to help and assist in any area of the company will take her a long way in her career.”
The NFL internship is another giant step forward in Saunders’ journey to a successful career.
“I feel extremely excited about this opportunity,” said Saunders. “My idea career path with HR is to continue working in the sports world as I progress in my career. Having an internship that aligns exactly with my career goals is extremely exciting to me, feel like I’m taking all the necessary steps to ensure that my goals are achieved.”
Capitol Broadcasting is proud to have had the privilege of playing a small part in helping Saunders move towards her goals.
“Phoenix is proof as to why this program is so important,” said DBBC Vice President of Baseball Operations Mike Birling of CBC’s Emerging Leaders. “We, as a company, can provide so much opportunity for these young professionals to go on to bigger and better things.”
Saunders is thankful for the time with CBC.
“Without the Emerging Leaders Program I would not have had this opportunity,” she said. “The internship with the Durham Bulls/Emerging Leaders set me up for success by providing me with the experience in HR that I needed and the leadership and personal development skills that are necessary for any career. The Emerging Leaders program really helped me decipher what career path I wanted to take through the mentoring sessions, leadership training and internship experience.”
2023 CBC Emerging Leaders Program Now Accepting Applications
The second edition of the Emerging Leaders internships is now accepting applications through May 19, 2023. Rising juniors and seniors at Shaw, St. Augustine’s and NC Central are invited to apply. Find out more:
