Ashley Beaton knew what it was like to be on a Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) before her arrival as an athletics administration graduate assistant at the University of North Georgia (UNG). She served on National SAAC as a volleyball player at the University of Illinois Springfield.
That experience helped her push UNG's student-athletes to learn how to use their skills to make a difference. The result was Hawk Em 101, a mentorship program for new student-athletes that pairs them with older student-athletes. Some of the student-athletes Beaton worked with had the idea, and she helped their vision become a reality.
"The biggest thing I learned is how to take the initiative and start something from the ground up," said Beaton, who spent two years as a graduate assistant at UNG.
Following her time at UNG, Beaton worked a one-year internship that started in June 2019 in the NCAA's governance department in Indianapolis.
She credits her growth and mentors from UNG for landing the coveted role. Brynn Seidenstricker, UNG's assistant athletic director for student services, previously served as an NCAA intern. Seidenstricker and Mary Rob Plunkett, UNG senior woman administrator and associate athletic director for business, helped Beaton with the application process.
Beaton, a 2019 Master of Business Administration (MBA) graduate of UNG, received a Rising Star Award in April 2019 from Women Leaders in College Sports. The Rising Star Awards recognize administrators who make a significant contribution early in their career and show potential to make a leadership impact in the future. Award recipients received scholarships to attend the Women Leaders National Convention in October 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona.
"Ashley has been a vital member of our team for the past two years and integral in the enhancement of programming for our student-athletes," UNG Director of Athletics Lindsay Reeves said. "She has a huge heart and unwavering passion to help others and make an impact. She will be sorely missed within the Nighthawk Nation, but she has such a bright future and will continue to leave her mark both at the NCAA next year and in the years to come."
Beaton wasn't sure what her future held, but her focus was clear for the NCAA internship that she called a dream job.
"I'm going to meet a lot of people and form authentic relationships with them. Hopefully that will give me a better idea of what I want to do," Beaton said. "All I know is I want to go somewhere I can impact the most student-athletes and be a positive light for them."
Beaton particularly appreciated how her time in UNG's Athletics Department allowed her to learn multiple areas, from game-day setup to game-day administration, budgeting, and compliance. Most of all, Seidenstricker and Reeves gave her the latitude to make a difference rather than only dealing with paperwork.
Beaton met Reeves when she was a student-athlete and Reeves was Management Council liaison for NCAA Division II. Their relationship has grown since Beaton began her work in Dahlonega, and Beaton considers Reeves a wonderful mentor.
"Lindsay Reeves has been instrumental in helping me grow as a person and as an administrator. One thing that I respect about her is that she really champions women in athletics. Sometimes it's hard because it is a male-dominated field, but she gives me the confidence to do what I want to do," Beaton said. "She has so many connections and so many relationships with people across the nation in college athletics. I love sitting down with Lindsay and picking her brain because she is so good at what she does."
Beaton has learned a lot since moving to the South, from her work to her MBA program to living on her own. She is thankful for those lessons and her time at UNG.
"I'm super sad to leave because I have made so many real friendships here and real memories. Dahlonega will always have a special place in my heart. I'll always be a Nighthawk even though I was a Prairie Star before," Beaton said. "It's been an awesome opportunity. I'm glad I took that chance, and I'm glad they took that chance on me."
