By Heather Benning
MWC Executive Director

Jermaine Marks, a senior economics major from Grinnell College, has been selected to participate in this year's NCAA Division III Student Immersion Program. The program, which premiered in January 2016, provides junior and seniors, who have a career goal of working in Division III athletics, with an opportunity to attend the NCAA Convention, go to scheduled Division III programming, be matched with a mentor and learn more about the Division and its governance process.

In its inaugural year, five students from five different member institutions represented the Midwest Conference. [See archived story.] "The first year the turnaround time from announcement of the opportunity to application submission deadline was exceptionally brief," says MWC Executive Director Heather Benning. "As a member of the working group that endorsed the program, I the advantage of knowing when the announcement was coming and encouraged Conference ADs to nominate qualified individuals. We were very fortunate as a league to have so many students selected, but I knew that in subsequent years the word would be out and the process would become significantly more competitive. It is an honor for Jermaine to be selected and the Midwest Conference is grateful that one of its own gets access to this amazing opportunity."

Marks began his undergraduate career in the Grinnell College department of athletics not as an athlete but as a student manager for both the football and men's basketball teams. Jermaine continued to work for the football program all four falls of his career. Currently he is in his fourth and final year serving the men's basketball program, yet, in basketball his role has significantly evolved beyond that of "team manager."

"During our first year working together there wasn't a single time I asked for something from Jermaine that he wasn't willing to do enthusiastically. Amazingly, during our second year, most every time I asked something of him, his response was: 'Already took care of that, Coach,'" explains David Arseneault, Sr., Grinnell College men's basketball coach. "Last year Jermaine moved beyond normal managerial duties because of his basketball mind. He handled most of our substitutions and was given the freedom to change our playing rotations at his choosing. I believe he actually won a couple of games for us with his personnel decisions."

Grinnell's Interim Head Coach Dave Arseneault Jr. is equally complimentary of Jermaine's work and aptitude: "The title 'student-assistant coach' does not do him justice. He is in charge of several team-specific scouting reports - identifying our opponent's strategy, individual player tendencies and keys to the game."
 
Mr. Marks expresses gratitude to the coaches for affording him the opportunity to be involved with the men's basketball program and increase his role within the coaching staff. "This level of involvement has been extremely beneficial in terms of understanding what really goes on behind the scenes of managing and putting together a cohesive team," said Jermaine. "These experiences have increased my desire to continue coaching and to potentially look for opportunities in athletic administration. It is my dream to become an athletic director."

While his opportunities at Grinnell already have instilled a sense of coaching confidence in Mr. Marks, the experience at the NCAA Convention through the Student Immersion Program will undoubtedly provide a broader understanding of the Association and Division III.  Participants will attend educational sessions about hot topics in collegiate athletics, sit in on Conference meetings and participate in the annual DIII business session. In addition, they will have an opportunity to talk with professionals in collegiate athletics, develop a mentoring relationship and meet other students aspiring to a career in collegiate athletics.

Of the opportunity, Grinnell College Director of Athletics Andy Hamilton says: "It is thrilling for Grinnell College and our athletic department to be represented by Jermaine. In some ways he has already started his professional career in athletics, which puts him way beyond the curve. His selection to the Immersion Program serves as an additional confidence builder knowing that he was chosen by a committee to be part of this selective experience."

In addition to serving as student assistant coach for the Pioneer men's basketball program and manager of the Grinnell football team, Jermaine is involved in Student Athletes Leading Social Change (SALSC) and the Pioneer Diversity Council. He wishes to acknowledge a number of individuals who have supported him in his pursuit of coaching and athletic administration: Coach Arseneault, Sr., Coach Dave, Coach Belf, Coach Hamilton, Coach Hollibaugh, Coach Snyder, Coach Sommers, Coach Cutler and Coach Dougherty.