Bulldogs Share Pathways to Careers in Professional Sports
From The Hill to the NBA: Fellowship Alumni Return to Inspire Next Generation
There was not an empty seat as Alabama A&M University students gathered to hear from fellow Bulldogs who have turned NBA HBCU Fellowship opportunities into valuable experience and pathways to careers in professional sports.
AAMU alumni returned to The Hill Sept. 11 for the Second Annual NBA HBCU Fellowship Panel, sharing firsthand experiences from NBA organizations and offering students practical advice on applying, interviewing, networking and making the most of one of the sports industry’s competitive fellowship opportunities.
Established in 2022, the NBA HBCU Fellowship Program provides undergraduate and graduate students from historically Black colleges and universities with 10-week paid summer internships with NBA teams, WNBA teams and the league office. Fellows gain hands-on experience in areas including marketing, communications, finance, partnerships and social impact.
Collin Malone shares insights from his NBA HBCU Fellowship experience with students during the panel.
Now in its fifth year, the program has selected 10 Alabama A&M fellows, including two Bulldogs in the 2026 cohort. According to NBA Foundation Signature Programs Manager Jon Rubenstein, AAMU ranks 11th among HBCUs nationwide in the number of fellowships awarded through the program.
The panel brought together AAMU students and alumni with NBA fellowship experience and careers spanning professional sports, marketing and entertainment:
- Nacala Williams (’26), a 2026 Brooklyn Nets community relations fellow.
- Amirah Ali (’25), a 2022 and 2023 Cleveland Cavaliers diversity and inclusion and social impact fellow who now works in marketing at PepsiCo.
- Amiya Bowden (’23), a member of the inaugural 2023 NBA HBCU Fellowship cohort who worked with the New Orleans Pelicans across marketing, video production and sales and now works as a freelance graphic designer and photographer.
- V’shonne Allen (’23, ’24), a 2022 Dallas Mavericks community relations intern who now serves as digital marketing manager for Quality Control Music.
- Jaycie Coleman (’21, ’23), a former Denver Nuggets global partnerships fellow who now serves as social media coordinator at Pyramid Sports Group.
- Brian Hill (’23, ’25), a 2024 Brooklyn Nets finance fellow and 2025 Detroit Pistons accounting and finance fellow who is pursuing opportunities in professional sports.
- Collin Malone (’23, ’25), a 2023 Houston Rockets marketing fellow who now serves as AAMU’s marketing and media relations coordinator.
Aaron Thompson, assistant vice president for AAMU Marketing, Communications and Advancement, served as moderator.
For Coleman, returning to campus is about showing students who walk the same halls she once did that opportunities in professional sports are within their reach.
“This program meant a lot to me,” Coleman said. “I definitely wanted to encourage students who walk the same halls as me that they can also go out into the United States and work for different NBA teams.”
Coleman said she has heard from students who attended the inaugural panel, sought advice afterward and ultimately earned fellowship opportunities themselves.
“I’ve had people reach out to me on LinkedIn, people who actually came to the program last year and got into the program,” Coleman said. “It’s just really encouraging.”
Brian Hill discusses his experiences with the Brooklyn Nets and Detroit Pistons during AAMU’s NBA HBCU Fellowship panel.
Hill said providing students with the kind of guidance he would have valued when he entered the fellowship is one of the reasons he returned for the second year.
“I could have used that help when I was doing it,” Hill said. “Just being able to help the students makes me happy.”
In addition to the panel discussion, students participated in breakout sessions focused on areas including marketing, partnerships, accounting and finance, and community relations. Alumni discussed their responsibilities, workplace expectations and key lessons from their fellowships while offering guidance on the application and interview process.
They encouraged students to ask questions early, begin projects promptly, network consistently and remain focused on making the most of the opportunity.
“If you’re selected, make the most of every moment,” Coleman advised. “Also, keep in mind that while you may have time to see friends and family, this program is super competitive, so really take advantage of it.”
Williams brought the perspective of one of AAMU’s newest fellows to the panel. The May 2026 graduate spent the summer with Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment and the Brooklyn Nets as a community relations intern.
She first learned about the NBA HBCU Fellowship as an AAMU freshman during a Thurgood Marshall College Fund campus visit. Williams applied for the 2025 program and advanced to a final interview but was not selected. She applied again for the 2026 fellowship, completed four rounds of interviews and learned in April that she had been selected by the Brooklyn Nets.
“The internship allowed me to see the areas of sports that I do and do not like,” Williams said. “I have a better understanding of what I want to do and where I want my career to go.”
Applications for the next NBA HBCU Fellowship cohort open in November, giving AAMU students another opportunity to join the growing network of Bulldogs who have taken their talents from The Hill to professional basketball.