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"We are uncommonly committed to preparing student-athletes for successful lives after graduation. Our approach is based on the science of human development. You will not find another school more dedicated to helping you be positioned for a great job or grad school opportunity after sports end, whenever that may be."

- UC Davis Director of Athletics Kevin Blue


It is this uncommon commitment towards student-athletes that led to the creation of the Aggie EVO System, a multi-faceted student-athlete outcomes program focused on preparing young men and women for a successful launch after graduating from the fifth-ranked public school in the nation.

We define launch as moving beyond graduation into a meaningful professional path that builds on the college experience, sets a graduate on a path of financial and social well-being and effectively replaces the sport as the primary piece of their identity.

The Aggie EVO System ("EVO" is shorthand for a student-athlete's "evolution" during college) is an important part of the student-athlete experience at UC Davis – just like weights and conditioning, attending class or getting athletic medicine treatment. This unprecedented program was designed to focus on on four key elements to help UC Davis student-athletes prepare for future success by helping them better "know and navigate the World of Work":

• SKILLS that employers want and will make student-athletes even more effective in their sports: self-awareness, emotional intelligence, social/cultural competence and leadership.
• KNOWLEDGE of what careers and paths are out there (we call this the "World of Work"), what fits one's interests and abilities, who in our gigantic network can advise and guide them and, and each individual can navigate a path to get there.
• OPPORTUNITIES to enjoy internships, jobs and other learning opportunities through a powerful network of Aggie alums. Student-athletes hear from and meet alums in a wide variety of fields, attend recruiting events and visit members of the EVO Pro network at companies in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Sacramento.
• TOOLS that student-athletes need to secure these opportunities. We require a few more basic tools or updates each year they are on campus. This includes resumes and cover letters, LinkedIn profiles, interviewing skills, business cards, professional headshots, and anything else that helps student-athletes prepare for a more successful launch.

The EVO program begins once student-athletes arrive on campus. Throughout their first year as an Aggie, résumé support and self-assessment tools are required and we begin an intentional four-year journey of putting together the academic, non-cognitive and career skills they will need. For second year student-athletes, personal storytelling and career assessments are emphasized to help everyone prepare for a successful job interview. LinkedIn profiles are continually updated and expanded (with more connections added each year) and interview skills are strengthened during one's junior year, followed by internships and real-world job networking until graduation day.

Additional resources are also provided to enhance student-athletes' EVO experience: job and internship fairs, a guest lecture series, workshops, skill development sessions and professional/graduate school preparation. An EVO Pro partnership program is another unique resource provided exclusively to Aggie student-athletes. It allows us to stay connected with former Aggies and gives them a chance to "pay it forward" with the young men and women who follow in their footsteps.

It is this network of working professionals, partners and alums, combined with unmatched resources that ultimately lead to a successful UC Davis student-athlete experience.

"This program is the greatest resource I used on campus," said senior volleyball player Brianna Karsseboom, a fourth-year managerial economics student. "Being a student-athlete at UC Davis, it can be difficult to prepare for the future when you are so consumed with academics and sports. This program has helped me build my resume, improve my interview skills, and grow my network."

"Especially for parents, looking at UC Davis for their kids, it's a desirable program that … really nobody else in the country offers," said Ryan Parenteau, a senior aerospace science and engineering major who is part of the football program. "I haven't heard about programs at my (friends') schools that help them get jobs."

Parenteau's UC Davis experience helped him get his foot in the door at Jacobs Global Engineering; Karsseboom completed an internship at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in San Francisco this past summer.

"The normal thing at a lot of schools is that student-athletes graduate with a degree … with no internships, no experience, no connections," said Senior Associate Athletics Director (Student-Athlete Outcomes) Michael Lorenzen. "Too often, they are not really sure that was the degree for them because they kind of get forced into a path that fits practice schedules and everything else. We know a college degree is just not enough to really launch anymore, so we integrate academic outcomes advising into a whole package designed to give student-athletes the most possible value out of their time on campus."

And that is what makes Aggie EVO unlike any program of its kind at the FCS and Division I levels: an uncommon commitment that helps student-athletes move from graduation into a meaningful next step that builds upon a UC Davis degree.

Aggie EVO is always seeking enthusiastic partners within the student-athlete, Team Aggie, Davis and professional communities to help ensure this program's success. Contact Liz Martin at (530) 752-7326, or by email at emartin@ucdavis.edu for additional information about how you can provide the best educational development and experience for UC Davis student-athletes.