NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Sarah Lawrence College softball player Kamaron McNair was one of approximately 40 NCAA student-athletes to participate in the Division III Student Immersion Program in January. Held in conjunction with the NCAA's annual Convention, the program exposes student-athletes to Division III, its members and its governance process.

"[The program was] informative and gave me a lot of insight into the life of an athletic director or someone who works for the NCAA," reported McNair. "The Student Immersion Program did a great job of bringing in students to give them an opportunity to network and gain this perspective of athletic jobs."

McNair attended the NCAA Convention with two other members of the Sarah Lawrence College delegation, Director of Athletics and Physical Education Kristin Maile and Assistant Director Paul Blascovich.

Maile was proud to have McNair in attendance. "Kamaron is an exceptional student-athlete and the president of our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. I am proud to have Kamaron attend the NCAA Convention and join us in representing the College among our Division III peers."

Created in 2015, the Student Immersion Program was created at the recommendation of the Division III Diversity and Inclusion Working Group, the Division III governance staff and the NCAA Office of Inclusion. Ethnic minority students—upperclassmen with an interest in a career III athletics—are selected and fully funded to attend the Convention. According to the program details, "the goal is to build a pipeline of talented ethnic minority candidates, with an interest in Division III coaching and/or administration, in an effort to ultimately diversify the division." McNair is the second Sarah Lawrence Gryphon to attend, following men's basketball player Jeff Jordan II, who participated in 2016.

McNair lauded the program's goal. "The NCAA is moving in the right direction in terms correcting a lack of diversity in the organization, and the association is clearly investing the future of college athletics."

McNair has begun preparations for the 2017 softball season. Already in possession of 11 program career records, the junior Gryphon looks to add to her athletic resume when the team begins the season in March.