NASCAR internship opens new doors for Carty
BY qHANEL DAVIS
THE CHRONICLE
Gregory Carty is living his
life, and his dream, in the fast
lane this summer.
The Winston-Salem State
University student and Durham
native is taking part in the
NASCAR Diversity Internship
Program. He has spent most of
the summer in Daytona Beach,
Fla., working side-by-side with
some of NASCAR's top execu
tives.
"Being in the program was a
great experience and the ?mo
de f i n i -
tion of a
hands-on
intern
ship,"
said the
19-year
old ris
ing jun
ior. "1
feel as
though
m y
Carty
knowledge of the sport has
increased over time, and 1
appreciate the sport a lot more.
With the projects that 1 was
assigned, I really did feel like I
was part of the department."
The internship program is
one of several NASCAR out
reach initiatives intended to
make the ranks and fan-base of
auto-racing more racially
diverse. WSSU, a historically
black university, has a motor
sports management degree pro
NASCAR Photo
Gregory Carty (second from left) and the other interns pose with driver Darrell Wallace Jr. (second
row, center) a NASCAR event in Charlotte.
gram. Carty, however, is study
ing business administration
with a concentration in sports
management. As a NASCAR
intern, he has seen racing from
a vantage point that the millions
who watch races from afar will
never get.
"There are many strategies
to win a lap other than just driv
ing faster than your opponent,"
he said. "The races are won in
the pits. At the end of the day,
the pit crew and driver has to
team up to get into the victory
lane for that day."
Carty, who is the youngest
intern in the program's history,
is worked the Events Marketing
Department, where his duties
included putting together
spreadsheets and documents,
pulling pictures taken at auto
graph sessions, creating
PowerPoint presentations and
documenting weekly track
attendance.
He said that one of the high
lights of his internship was
attending the July 4 Weekend
events in Daytona. an annual
, activity that the NASCAR faith
ful consider sacrosanct.
"To get to look at the fans
expressions, especially the little
kids, when the got to meet their
favorite driver who they look up
to in life," Carty said. "It is nice
when you can put together an
event that will have an everlast
ing impression and memory on
them for the rest of their lives."
Carty is a WSSU Student
Government Association mem
ber and vice president of the
Sport Management Club. He is
also a Salvation Army Boys &
Girls Club sports camp volun
w
teer and mentor. He believes
what he learned during his sum
mer of interning will make him
a better student, student leader
and mentor, as he will be better
prepared "to communicate with
all levels
effective
ly and to
have an
open
mind
about
things that
come up."
"The
biggest
(thing)
that I will
take away
is the networking, which is a
key component in this fast-pace
sports industry," he said.
Clay Harshaw, assistant pro
fessor at WSSU and coordinator
of Motorsports Management,
said the intership program is
highly competitive and Carty
was a good choice to represent
WSSU
"He is a fantastic student,"
Harshaw said. "They
(NASCAR) are the motivation
for our program, and NASCAR
has been supportive of our pro
gram since inception. (The
internship program) allows stu
dents to get their foot in the
door of the motorsports indus
try and that gives them an
opportunity to get into the front
office of other major sports."
Harshaw
Photo** by Chanel Davis
Javonty Hunter's mother, Jackie Huntley, helps him unpack food.
Freshmen
from page AI
wssu.
"When I came here, I
just felt the richness and
the culture of a HBCU
(historically black col
lege/university)," she
said. "They (WSSU) have
the best nursing program
for African American stu
dents in North Carolina.
They also have a band,
and 1 want to participate
in the chorus."
WSSU's appeal was
strong enough to reach
Piscataway Township,
N.J., where Vernon
Johnson 111 lives and
from which he and his
family drove to Winston
Salem last week.
Johnson, 18. wanted
to attend an HBCU and
his home state lacks
them. He made an
impromptu visit to
WSSU and was
impressed.
"When I came, it was
n't on a (college) tour
date, so I got to see what
it was really like, he
said.
Attending an HBC U
was also important to
Charlotte native Javonty
Hunter, who will major in
business administration.
"1 feel like this will be
the last opportunity to
spend time with people
that are most like me. and
1 want to cherish that.' he
said.
lmani Safford said she
was looking for a change
of scenery when she con
sidered schools outside of
her hometown - Atlanta.
"I love my city, but 1
wanted to venture out.
This is a new experience
for me," said the music
major. "1 am very excit
ed. and 1 have been wait
ing for this day for the
longest."
If Safford does get
home sick, she doesn't
have to cross state lines.
She has family members
in Winston-Salem.
The themes of break
ing away and starting
anew were common
among many of the fresh
men. Julian Massey is the
last of his siblings fto
leave the nest for college.
The Marietta native said
he has never been away
from home for an extend
ed period of time. The
prospect, though, excites
him.
"I am finally getting
away from home and
embarking on the path of
being a young man ...
growing up and pursuing
my own goals and
dreams," he said.
Jailan Reed of
Laurinburg is proud to be
a member of the WSSU
Ram family. She wants to
make her blood family
and school family proud
by doing well.
"I think that I will do
good ... I have to do
good," she said.
This week, the fresh
men are taking part in
RAMDITION, a series of
workshops and social
events designed to accli
mate them to campus life.
It all culminates Aug. 16
with the "Through the
Archway" rite o$ passage
ceremony, when each of
them will pass through
the school's historic arch
es on their way to a spe
cial ceremony in K.R.
Williams Auditorium.
Imani Safford
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