DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Neither Sydnei Fryson nor Olivia Messineo knew specifically how they wanted to direct and devote their college graduate school-level education. Admittedly they were both casual NASCAR fans, who recognized big names in the sport and kept up with who won races each week.
But an opportunity through the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program became a game-changer for the young women — a life-changer, really. Not only does it present opportunities within the sport’s vast governing body itself, but more broadly, teams and corporate partners are also benefitting from the high caliber of students getting that specialized experience through the program.
It’s a double checkered-flag of sorts – a legitimate win-win.
“My first race was in 2014, the Brickyard 400,’’ Fryson said. “I just fell in love with it all. I had to be there.
“I loved the atmosphere. I loved the sound of the cars on the track. I knew from that moment, I had to – if not stay in the sport – to at least get my first job in the sport.’’
As it turned out, Fryson, 25, may well have gotten both. That experience at the track motivated her to pursue an internship with NASCAR. And the West Virginia native ended up earning back-to-back internships – with Rev Racing and NASCAR’s multicultural development department.
As a result, in January, 2018, the Hampton University and Columbia University graduate was hired by the Roush Fenway Racing team as manager of social media and digital marketing.
“My No. 1 goal was to get a full time, permanent job, so now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, I’d like to see how I can grow in the company,’’ Fryson said.
Messineo, 23, knows that story and has her own opportunity chapter in it. A standout tennis player at Syracuse University during her undergrad work, she is now one class away from earning her master’s degree in sports management from SUNY Cortland. She was selected for the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program over the summer and now has a full-time job working as a member of NASCAR’s driver and team marketing group.
“I came into this [sport] not knowing a whole lot about it, except who won on a Sunday and I knew some of the highlights,’’ Messineo said. “I was looking for something different, something new.
“I kind of purposely did this to myself to see if I could adapt to a new sport, a new environment that I know nothing about. … I really tried to immerse myself this summer and I got halfway through and was like, ‘I don’t want to leave. I really like it here.’
“What I really like is the people and I work in a place I look forward to coming to every day.’’
Out of more than a thousand applicants, 35 were selected this summer. And that number is up 84 percent from just a decade ago when the program included 19 young people.
The internship “orientation” is literally bright lights and fireworks happening during the sport’s All-Star race weekend mid-May in Charlotte. That high-octane welcome kicks off a 10-week summer program – with interns assigned to both the Charlotte and Daytona Beach offices. And it includes initiatives such as the “Lunch and Learn” which features lunch with a high-profile slate of industry speakers such as NASCAR President Brent Dewar. A resume workshop wraps up the internship along with the opportunity to volunteer in the community through local organizations both in Charlotte and Daytona Beach.
“I would say 20 percent of our graduates come back and either work for NASCAR or industry-related employers,’’ said Dawn Harris, who oversees the internship program in her role as NASCAR’s senior director for multicultural development. “Many others may transition into sports-related positions in other leagues.
“Even though it may not directly benefit NASCAR from an employment standpoint every time, the fact we are in position to provide them the framework, the experience, the knowledge that enabled them to launch other careers with the sports industry is also something we are very proud of.’’
Messineo is so enthusiastic about the program, she contacted Syracuse University to make sure the school is both aware of and proactive regarding the opportunity presented.
“I told them, you have to have some others look into this,’’ Messineo said of her internship with NASCAR Digital. “What’s great about it is we aren’t treated like interns, we’re treated like employees. If you have an idea, bring it to the table.
“I asked for as much as I could. I got to do a photo shoot with Kyle Busch and the gallery ran on NASCAR.com. I got to come up with a lot of great content things.’’
That is one of many upsides for both participants and perspective employers. Roush Fenway Racing, for example, was awarded NASCAR Drive for Diversity’s prestigious 2018 NASCAR Team Award for its involvement in the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program.
But speak with members of that renowned NASCAR team and they would tell you the victory is more accurately the benefits it receives from the intern talent pool.
“It’s been honestly a great way to find the best people, the most talented people and different people for different jobs,’’ said Kevin Woods, Roush Fenway Racing’s vice president of marketing operations and communications.
“What makes a diversity program so special is that it provides an opportunity for different people to find their way into the sport. And in all honestly, we’ve more reaped the benefit from the program than the program has reaped the benefit from us.’’
For this championship team, finding people through the internship program just simply made sense on every level.
“If you look at the Jack Roush philosophy, that is you have the talent and work ethic, the determination and the ability, then you should be able to succeed at whatever you do and that’s something instilled in this organization from Jack down,’’ Woods said.
“That fits with the diversity program perfectly. If somebody comes into this sport and has that talent, determination and passion, they should be able to continue to succeed and I think the program gives a lot of people that opportunity. And I think this organization has given a lot of people that opportunity over the years.
“Opening that door is an important part of it.’’
And the impact of that simple philosophy has been grand and expansive – with opportunities for the interns at race teams such as Roush Fenway, Hendrick Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing; race tracks such as Daytona International Speedway and manufacturers such as Toyota, among a growing list of companies in the sport that are active in the internship program.
“I really love Roush Fenway, especially for their dedication to diversity,’’ Fryson said. “I hope I can stay and grow and learn here and stay in NASCAR for a really long time.
“It’s something that’s a part of me now.’’
And a building block that will be part of the sport for decades to come.
