Four students studying sports communication, sports management, sports marketing and automotive engineering at Clemson University were recently selected to receive scholarships from the Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute (RHBSSI) for the 2024-25 academic year.
Mark V. Bellamy Brooks Endowed Scholarship
Endowed in the memory of Robert H. Brooks’ late son, Mark Brooks ’91, this fund provides scholarships to undergraduate students at Clemson University studying in a sports-related field. Students are chosen based on selective criteria, including their accomplishments and career aspirations as they relate to sports science. The following students have been awarded the Mark V. Bellamy Brooks Endowed Scholarships for the 2024-2025 academic year.
SPORTS COMMUNICATION: Abigail Szlosek
Szlosek is a rising senior from Charleston, SC. She is double majoring in sports communication and marketing and has experience working for Clemson Athletics Creative Solutions, Premier Lacrosse League and Bowerman Track Club. She is also a freelance photographer and videographer.
“Before coming to college, I had no idea it was possible to pursue a career in sports. Clemson has opened the doors to a life in sports for me. Whether traveling the world shooting photo and video content for our various Division 1 teams through the Creative Solutions department with Clemson Athletics, learning about the sports world through curriculum in the classroom, or researching team dynamics through my Creative Inquiry, Clemson has gifted me so many incredible chances to grow my passion for sports.
Thanks to the mentorship and opportunities given to me here, I’ve had the chance to work in the professional sports world, from my Summer 2022 tenure with the Premier Lacrosse League as a social media intern, to working on the 2023 Peach Bowl content team, all the way up to shooting NFL and MLS games.
I am so thankful and honored to be a recipient of the Mark V. Bellamy Brooks Endowed Scholarship this year. I look forward to finishing my last year at Clemson and growing my love for being a creative at Clemson and beyond. I aspire to find a position one day that doesn’t define me by my role but will allow me to connect with others to help them grow in sport.
A huge thank you to everyone at the Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute for considering me for this award, and shoutout to everyone from Creative Solutions for everything they’ve done for me! Go Tigers!”
SPORTS MANAGEMENT: Cassi Cleveland
Cleveland is a senior from Augusta, GA studying Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management with a concentration in Recreational Therapy.
“I am excited and honored to receive the Mark V. Bellamy Brooks Endowed Scholarship for my passion working with adaptive sports. Thank you to Robert H. Brooks for creating this scholarship to help students pursue their academic interests in the field of sports.
My senior year of college, I transferred to Clemson University to study recreational therapy with an emphasis on adaptive sports. While attending Clemson, I have had the opportunity to work with ClemsonLife, Clemson Adaptive Sports, the Rollin’ Tigers Wheelchair Basketball Team, the Team Whales and Team USA Wheelchair Rugby League teams, Colorado Special Olympics, and in the Fall 2024 semester I will travel with Clemson to attend and volunteer at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris.
Through these experiences, I have met some of the most awe inspiring and incredible people. These children, teens, and adults are athletes. Rather doing it for enjoyment or competitively, they continue to prove that nothing is impossible with determination.
As graduation approaches, I am excited about my future and continuing to work in the field of adaptive sports.”
SPORTS MARKETING: Sarah Buford
Buford is a senior Marketing major from Greenville, SC with minors in Accounting and Sports Communication. She has served as the Marketing and Fan Experience Lead for Clemson Athletics Marketing, a Sales and Ticketing Intern for the Greenville Drive, and has participated in the MLB On Deck Sales Training Program.
“Growing up as an active youth sports participant and avid Clemson fan, pursuing a career in sports has always been a mission of mine. When I came to Clemson, I knew I wanted to explore sports to see what the industry had to offer, but I had no idea where my journey would take me.
My first introduction to the sports industry was with the Greenville Drive, the High-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, as a Sales and Ticketing Intern. This internship opened my eyes to only a glimpse of what working in sports had to offer but taught me so much to help me progress in my career. Since then, I have had the opportunity to intern with Clemson Athletics Marketing as a Marketing and Fan Experience Intern and participate in the MLB On Deck Sales Training Program with Major League Baseball.
As I start my senior year, I will be taking on a new role in the Clemson Athletics Marketing Department as a Marketing and Fan Experience Lead Intern. From these experiences, I have been able to connect and build relationships with many valuable mentors and colleagues and have absorbed a wealth of practical knowledge for working in sports.
I am honored and grateful to be selected as one of the recipients of the Mark V. Bellamy Brooks Scholarship. Without guidance from Clemson’s faculty and staff and institutions like the Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute, I would have never known where to start on my journey. I cannot wait to see what the future holds for me, and I am excited to continue expanding my knowledge of the industry.”
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING: Peter Gaspich
Gaspich is a rising junior from Greenville, SC pursuing a major in Automotive Engineering and a minor in Mathematical Sciences. He currently serves as the Lead Engineer of the Suspension Division on the Clemson University Formula SAE team.
“I am honored to receive the Mark V. Bellamy Brooks Scholarship in recognition of my lifelong passion in motorsports. Ever since I played my first racing game on my dad’s Playstation 3, I have had an intense passion for motorsports. Some of my fondest childhood memories were spent attending events such as the Petit Le Mans and Cars and Coffee with my dad, where I developed a dream of pursuing a career in the sport I so dearly loved. Years later, I am still pursuing this dream at Clemson, where I have been lucky enough to be one of the first students in the country to study Automotive Engineering as an undergraduate.
Outside of my studies, I devote most of my free time to my involvement in Formula SAE, a collegiate engineering competition where teams of students design and build a formula-style racecar for competition against other universities. I am going into my third year on the team and have been elected as the Lead Engineer of the Suspension Division. On top of managing the Suspension Division, I am responsible for the design and analysis of our vehicle’s unique mode decoupled suspension system, which is an advanced design rarely seen outside of the top-levels of motor-racing, such as Formula 1 and Le Mans Prototypes/Hypercars. Through this experience, and my involvement in the new Automotive Engineering B.S. program, I have gained invaluable experience in the industry and built countless relationships to give me a head-start in the world of motor-racing. I hope my accomplishments will inspire young boys and girls and show them that their dream career in motorsports isn’t as unattainable as they may think.”
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