Meet the 2024-25 PGIPs: Championships & Alliances

In the final edition of our Postgraduate Intern Cohort feature series, meet the championships and alliances PGIPs:

Digital and Social Media

Ara Cowper

School: Indiana (B.S. in sports marketing and management) and former rowing student-athlete.

Hometown: Winchester, Indiana.

What are you hoping to get out of this experience? I am hoping to use the knowledge and skills I gained working for Indiana University athletics and learn how to apply them to the national level. I'm also hoping to create lifelong relationships with the other interns and my co-workers, be pushed and challenged as a professional, and continue to grow as a creative. One day, I would love to do social media and strategy for an athletic department or team, and I'd really love to work with football.

What's something people would be surprised to learn about you? I have three pet guinea pigs!

Division I Men's Basketball

Justin Greenlee

School: Concordia Chicago (B.S. in sports management and business) and former men's basketball student-athlete.

Hometown: Milwaukee.

What do you like to do in your free time? I enjoy working out, golfing and spending time with family and friends. In my free time, I'm usually watching TV shows, listening to music or reading.

What are you hoping to get out of this experience? I am hoping to learn and grow as a young professional in sports. I want to come out of this knowing I used all the resources this program provides to allow me to do so. A future goal of mine is to have a career working in the college basketball space centered around event planning and project management.

Division I Women's Basketball

Caroline Tripp

School: Bridgewater State (B.S. in communications — public relations) and former women's basketball student-athlete.

Hometown: Plymouth, Massachusetts.

What's something people would be surprised to learn about you? I am an identical twin. What do you like to do in your free time? I enjoy working out, going to the beach, going on nature walks, reading and watching sports.

Event Marketing

Alex Mutchler

School: Findlay (B.S. in business administration) and former men's track and field student-athlete.

Hometown: Bucyrus, Ohio.

What's something people would be surprised to learn about you? I have 21 cousins on my Mutchler side of the family, and we get together for all major holidays.

What are you currently bingeing? "Suits" or anything Marvel.

Game Presentation

Joshua Philips

School: University of Texas at San Antonio (B.B.A. in marketing), Houston (M.A. in sport and fitness administration) and former football student-athlete.

Hometown: Slidell, Louisiana.

What are you hoping to get out of this experience? I am very excited to be in Indianapolis and be a part of the NCAA. My plan is to be a sponge and learn as much as I can about the inner workings of collegiate athletics while I am here. I am looking forward to connecting with various professionals and expanding my network. A future goal for myself is to work for a professional sports organization, either in game presentation, the front office or other administrative roles.

What's something that people would be surprised to learn about you? I was the lead in my high school's rendition of "Footloose."

Operations

Elise Boulton

School: Simpson (B.A. in sports administration and business management) and former women's basketball student-athlete.

Hometown: Montezuma, Iowa.

What's something that people would be surprised to learn about you? I qualified for state cross country each year in high school, but basketball was always my passion. Now that I'm retired, I've started to run half marathons, and that's one of my favorite things to do! I set a goal of running it, sometimes under a certain time, and I chase the goal, even after two knee surgeries!

"What are you currently bingeing? "Ted Lasso" is an all-time favorite, I always turn on "The Office" or "Friends" in the background, and I just started "Young Sheldon"!

Lauren Crumley

School: Clemson (B.A. in sports communication) and former rowing student-athlete.

Hometown: Haddonfield, New Jersey.

What do you like to do during your free time? Since finishing up my collegiate athletic career, I've started running for fun and have really enjoyed it so far. My goal is to be able to run a half marathon distance by the end of 2024. I also enjoy cooking, reading and rooting for Philadelphia sports teams!

What are you hoping to get out of this experience? I am hoping to gain lots of hands-on experience in the sports event operations space. This area of sports interests me greatly, and I think the opportunities within the NCAA championships department will be unparalleled. I also am excited to make connections with other PGIP interns, national office employees and external stakeholders. Long term, I would like to work in event operations, team operations or student-athlete/player development at the collegiate or professional level.

CJ Sowards

School: Arizona State (B.A. in community sports management, M.A. in sports law and business)

Hometown: Lakeville, Minnesota.

What's something people would be surprised to learn about you? I became a certified scuba diver when I was 12. What do you like to do during your free time? I love to play Ultimate Frisbee, walk and go to the park with my two dogs and explore with my fiancee.

#NCAALearnLead