from Marymount Athletics
Track and field student-athlete and standout student employee in the Marymount Athletics Communications Office, Cadyn Johnson, was one of 16 student employees nationwide selected for the Division III College Sports Communicators Student Program at the CSC Unite 2026 Convention in Las Vegas earlier this month.
“It felt surreal to be selected,” Johnson said. “I was honestly in shock when I received the news. With only a small number of us being selected, it really put things into perspective for me. I’m grateful and honored to be part of such a competitive group.”
Held each June in conjunction with the CSC Convention, the fully funded Division III Student Program provides participants with hands-on experience, professional networking opportunities and career development, according to the NCAA.
“There were many activities throughout the event that provided valuable insight into the sports communications field,” Johnson said. “These included learning how to do live stats for baseball and softball, multiple speed networking sessions and professional development workshops focused on using AI effectively to improve workflow and efficiency.”
Students from across the country are nominated by College Sports Communicators members before completing a competitive application process. Applicants must demonstrate a strong interest in sports communications and an understanding of the role communications professionals play at Division III institutions.
Johnson has worked in the Marymount Athletics Communications Office since his first year on campus, contributing to broadcasts, compiling statistics and serving as co-host of the official Marymount Athletics podcast, Made by Marymount.
“Nominating Cadyn was an easy decision because of everything he has accomplished in our office,” Assistant Athletics Director for Communications Jacob Brown said. “He has consistently expressed his goal of working in athletics communications after graduation, so I’m incredibly happy he had the opportunity to learn from industry leaders and gain this experience.”
In addition to participating in the convention’s annual 5K, Johnson attended sessions such as “Beyond the Buzzer: Training Athletes and Coaches to Be Interview Ready” and “How to Set Up and Produce a Quality Media Day,” gaining insight into the day-to-day responsibilities of athletics communications professionals.
The experience and networking opportunities further solidified Johnson’s career aspirations.
“This opportunity was very eye-opening and confirmed that sports communications is the career path I want to pursue after graduation,” Johnson said. “Talking with athletic communications directors and assistant directors from the Division I, II and III levels, one common theme they emphasized was that, despite the demanding workload, you get to be around sports year-round and make a career out of it. That perspective really stood out to me. Growing up playing sports and always being around athletics, this career feels like a perfect fit. It aligns with what I already enjoy doing as a student employee and made me even more excited about building a future in this industry.”
As he prepares for his senior year, Johnson hopes to apply what he learned while continuing to expand his role in the Athletics Communications Office during the 2026-27 academic year.
“Heading into next year, I want to be as supportive as possible to the Athletics Communications staff and help lighten their workload wherever I can,” Johnson said. “Whether it’s running stats, assisting with commentary or taking on other responsibilities, I want to contribute in any way that helps make their jobs more manageable because they do so much for everyone in the department.”
