Milwaukee Bucks give Marquette University Urban Scholar students an unusual chance to work inside a pro sports team

On Christian Golden’s first day with the Milwaukee Bucks organization he visited Rufus King High School where he was a student just a few years earlier.

Golden participated on a panel with other Bucks colleagues who had ties to the school and awarded Rufus King student Russell Morgan with a $10,000 college scholarship.

He said coming back to his old high school as a visitor and someone who is giving back to the community that raised him brought him “full circle.”

“Growing up in Milwaukee, it’s essential for kids to see people who came from those same exact seats," Golden said.

"It’s one thing if I told you that we had a similar story, but it’s another thing to actually see someone physically that you’ve seen out in the community and they’re actually working for an organization that’s in the community.”

Golden is participating in a new partnership between the Bucks and Marquette University where students from the school's Urban Scholar Program receive experience working with a professional sports franchise.

“Together we designed the fellowship to offer unique, differential learning opportunities,” said Paul Jones, vice president for university relations and general counsel for Marquette.

“We think the fellowship is going to be a pretty cool, hands-on experience for our students. The fellows will have the opportunity to experience a wide range of day-to-day duties of a professional sports franchise as well as a team.”

Students receive financial help to attend college

The Urban Scholars Program serves students from the Milwaukee area by removing financial barriers to attend the university.

“We want our demographics, our workforce to represent the Milwaukee community,” Jakeim Jackson, Bucks diversity, equity and inclusion outreach manager, said.

“When you think about the future workforce in Milwaukee, how are we supporting that talent and being able to align that with the demographics. We want to have a diverse workforce here. Through the Urban Scholars Program, we’re able to do that.”

Marquette alumnus Sumathi Thiyagarajan, vice president of business strategy and analytics for the Bucks, said having fellows from Milwaukee working for the Bucks is critical to the organization becoming further involved in the community.

“This is Milwaukee’s team, we’re born, raised Milwaukee,” Thiyagarajan said. “What better opportunity for a kid who’s grown up here, who’s seen this team ascend, who’s seen this team really take hold in this community, to come and work for that company?”

The fellowship is designed to match the passions of the student with the needs of the Bucks organization.

Golden, a junior at Marquette, is studying corporate communications and entrepreneurship, and wants to work in philanthropy.

“For me, it’s very important for the organization that you work with that their goals and values align with your goals and values,” Golden said. “It makes working with the organization much simpler, but it also makes it enjoyable. It’s fulfilling.”

Golden helps with the Bucks charitable side making sure non-profit organizations get tickets or sending a signed Khris Middleton basketball to a child at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.

“We can make those dreams come true,” Golden said. “Or even if it’s on a major scale like giving a young man a $10,000 scholarship to pursue higher education.”

'Milwaukee helping Milwaukee'

During his first week, Golden said he learned how much the organization cares about education and other issues in Milwaukee.

Golden said each Bucks player has social issues that matter to them for which they get support from the team.

“Basketball gives us the platform to reach these audiences, but the Milwaukee Bucks use that platform to execute (change) with the community,” Golden said.

The fellowship aims to provide essential tools and resources to have a job in sports entertainment or the industry in general.

“Having the right resume, knowing how to interview... this fellow will not only learn about the moving parts of their department that they’re working in, which is corporate social responsibility, they will learn about the business as a whole,” Jackson said. “And they’ll have access to our employer resource groups, which is how we connect with each other.”

Golden also has game day responsibilities. On Wednesday night, he helped with the 50/50 raffle and half-time show performance.

Thiyagarajan said the Bucks want to make sure the organization is a place “that’s attainable and a place that is welcoming to all students here in the Milwaukee area.”

“We’re sourcing our best and brightest talent directly from our backyard,” Thiyagarajan said. “This is Milwaukee helping Milwaukee.”

The fellowship plans to be open to up to three fellows every semester.

“This is an inaugural program for both sides so we really want to take it slow and make sure it’s fully successful and fully structured to succeed,” Thiyagarajan said. “It’s a really good way to learn with one (fellow) right now.”

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Bucks, Marquette partner to create fellowship for Urban Scholar students