Kimberly WilliamsWhen Lauryn Goins, 2024 N.C. Central University kinesiology graduate, applied for the Capitol Broadcasting Company’s Goodmon Fellowship – with its focus on leadership – she wasn’t quite sure what to expect.
While completing the application she selected “events” as her preferred area of interest. Other choices included: digital content, marketing, news reporting and other departments associated with CBC.
The fellowship, funded by the CBC, is designed to build transformative leaders. Their mission is to educate, develop and connect the leaders of the triangle through community success.
As it turned out, Goins was thrilled with her selection.
“This leadership opened my eyes to how you can still be yourself and still be a leader within your role,” Goins said, adding that she learned a lot about herself, including areas where she needed improvement.
Throughout the program, Goins interned at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in special events, human resources and operations.
She said she learned the importance of attention to detail in event operations. She also highlighted the significance of being mentored by a Black woman within the sports industry.
The Goodmon Fellowship offers the “Emerging Leaders Program” which targets HBCU students. This program recognizes Black students as future leaders, providing them with hands-on leadership training and promoting a deeper understanding of the community.
Interns are placed at one of the following locations: the CBC, WRAL, Microspace, Durham Bulls Athletic Park, or American Underground. It is open to all majors and classification and applications open in Spring 2025.
This nonprofit, which was established in 1992, offers master-level courses that are aimed to develop students into leaders. More than 1,110 fellows, which include college presidents, have completed the Leadership Triangle Program.
“Leadership Triangle has emerged as a leading entity in the region, to help identify and groom future leaders, to identify and study regional issues, and to act as a clearinghouse of information for the Triangle,” said Jim Goodmon, CBC’s Chair Emeritus and CEO.
The Goodmon Fellowship has partnered with NCCU for three years.
Jeannine Brown, Goodmon’s fellowship director, encouraged its members to attend their monthly networking events and opportunities.
“The fellowship can lead to job opportunities and that the fellowship carries weight when listed on an applicant’s resume,” Brown said.
Goins said the fellowship is one more important step into her future in physical therapy. She is now enrolled in NCCU’s graduate Athletic Admin Program and working full-time as a mobility tech at the Duke University Hospital.
Her long-term goal is to enroll in a Doctor of Physical Therapy program in North Carolina. Her mission is to advocate for under-served communities, nationally and internationally.
