FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Former Union women’s volleyball student-athlete
appointed through Ethnic Minority and Women’s Grant
WINTHROP, Mass. – Rachel Wyman has been appointed to the position of Assistant to the Commissioner at the Great Northeast Athletic Conference, as announced by GNAC Commissioner Joe Walsh on Monday.
Her hiring is supported through the Division III Ethnic Minority and Women’s Grant, a two-year program that provides funding for entry-level administrative positions at NCAA Division III schools and conference offices.
Wyman, who will begin her duties with the league office beginning in June, is a Double Major at Union College in Schenectady, N.Y. and is set to receive her Bachelor’s degree next month. The Medfield, Mass. native received Liberty League Women’s Volleyball All-Conference honors all four years during her career as a student-athlete with the Dutchwomen.
“Rachel was selected from over 200 applicants because of her maturity, her experience with important projects, and her knowledge of Division III,” said Walsh. “Past interns have had success with this program at the GNAC and we believe Rachel will follow in the steps of those previous interns who now have careers in college athletics. She will be able to gain valuable experience and make connections across Division III.”
In her role, Wyman will be responsible for special projects under Commissioner Walsh, beginning with the planning of the 2016 GNAC Professional Development Seminar (PDS), which will be held on Wednesday, August 10 at Anna Maria College in Paxton, Mass. Wyman’s duties will also include coordinating the GNAC’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) efforts, strategic planning, historical research, event management at conference championships, and assisting GNAC Assistant Commissioner Michael Ghika with athletics communications tasks.
In her time at Union, Wyman balanced her time commitment as a student-athlete with a number of professional development opportunities. As the president of Union’s SAAC Executive Board, she attended the 2016 NCAA Convention in San Antonio representing the Liberty League. She was also an administrative assistant for Union’s Division-I men’s ice hockey program, playing a key role with the Garnet Blades, the team’s official fundraising organization.
Majoring in Spanish & Hispanic Studies and History, Wyman has had term abroad experiences in Germany, Poland, Lithuania and Spain. She is a member of three honors societies – Phi Alpha Theta, Sigma Delta Pi and Iota Iota Iota – and also served as a Sport Management intern with Special Olympics Massachusetts last year.
On the volleyball court, Wyman led Union in both kills and kills per set all four years, earning Liberty League Second Team honors in 2012 and 2014 and First Team recognition in 2013 and 2015. She earned AVCA All-America Honorable Mention Accolades this past fall as well.
The 2016-18 grant cycle marks the fourth time since 2007 the GNAC has applied for and received funding for the Division III Ethnic Minority and Women’s Grant.
Founded in 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 12 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Each year, the GNAC sponsors and administers 17 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunities and community involvement.
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