Life as an NFL Prospect in Grad School

Fitting a master's program into life after undergrad doesn't have to be hard—and with a good support system and resources, it can be done without skipping a beat. For pro football prospect Zedane Williams, fitting an online master's program into his long days of training has been a seamless addition to his routine.

"The most difficult part is probably just time management. But the [Carsey] School does a great job of just giving you the resources. So you don't feel like it's hard," Zedane explained.

Training for the NFL While Pursuing a Graduate Degree

From youth sports in western Massachusetts to D1 star safety and NFL hopeful, football was always written on the walls for Zedane. Life, however, looks different now; between training for the draft and living in Atlanta with his mom, the routine that comes with being an undergrad in Durham has passed. Zedane used to spend his days walking to practice and attending class in person. Now, as an online graduate student living 1,200 miles from campus, his days start with a commute to the facility for a full day of training, and end with logging onto the computer to complete some of his asynchronous coursework.

Such major life changes can be hard to adjust to, but not for Zedane. "I just keep my head down and just know, it's all going to work out in the end. And just try not to compare myself to other people. Everybody has their own journey."

Though football has been a major part of Zedane's life, it isn't the only throughline in his journey. Giving back and helping others has been a passion since his days as an undergraduate. Dual majoring in Sociology and Homeland Security, he learned theoretical tools to understand the human and social dimensions that threaten communal security—making it a solid foundation for the GCHS program, which explores conflict drivers and peacebuilding.

Turning a Passion for Football and Giving Back Into a Career

With just three terms and the Capstone project standing between Zedane and his master's degree, he credits the success of his distanced learning to the support of Carsey's academic team. "Sanjeev Sharma, I got his phone number. So whenever something is going on or I need to reach out to him for help, he's always available. He's been a great help for me in the school, especially being away from the main campus at UNH."

As he nears the end of his academic journey, Zedane is faced with a question we all find ourselves up against one time or another—what's next? More specifically, for Zedane, how does he make a career of his combined passions for football and helping people?

When considering how he wants to apply his degree in the future, Zedane expressed his interest in working in the nonprofit sector to help develop fields and equal opportunities for underprivileged youth. "Me and Dr. Gonzales [GCHS program director] talked about that the other day...I just like the idea of everybody getting the same equal chance to grow up and have fun and just do normal kid stuff."

A Growing Need for Humanitarian Relief

Zedane's dedication to serving underprivileged communities reflects the global need for equity and access—a cornerstone in global affairs and peace building. Despite current concerns in the stability of international development, the reality is that the field is continuing to grow with the rising demand for skilled global practitioners.

"Monitoring, evaluation and accountability, and learning specialists are in high demand these days," GCHS program director Melinda Negron-Gonzales said in a recent info session on careers in international development. "There's lots of growth in the climate adaptation and environmental sustainability areas. There's also been growth in the global health area, as well as gender equality and women's empowerment. And we are seeing growth in conflict resolution and peacebuilding roles."

Nonprofit employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows a rise in employment in the space between 2007 and 2017, despite national disruptions. Info session panelist Ralph Koehring, Senior Director of Global Ethics and Compliance at URC, noted, "it would be easy to think that because international development is under question at the U.S. government level and how we do it, that it would be diminishing as a job area, but as Melinda showed throught the numbers, there is no doubt in my mind that it's going to continue to grow."

Make Your Difference

While the uncertainty surrounding the field continues to fester, experts and practitioners agree on one thing: the need for humanitarian relief and global development isn't going anywhere, and the demand for educated professionals like Zedane will continue to rise.

If you, too, want to make a difference, don't wait. The Carsey School's master's programs will give you the tools and skills you need to excel as a changemaker. Online, in-person, full- or part-time, our degrees are flexible to you and your needs. Explore your next step today.