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Student Spotlight: Graduate Intern Camille Jernigan
The accomplished student athlete has found a supportive environment for balancing coursework, an internship and her last season of intercollegiate soccer
University News | December 17, 2024
For VWU graduate intern Camille Jernigan, earning her Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Virginia Wesleyan's online program is just one part of her journey this semester. The Longwood University 2024 graduate jumped at the opportunity to also play a fifth year of intercollegiate soccer at VWU, while pursuing her advanced degree and completing an internship in the Office of Marketing and Communications. Her dedication, resilience, and passion for both athletics and academics have helped her to navigate a challenging yet rewarding chapter of her life.
“I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to play a fifth year of collegiate soccer,” said Jernigan. “The Class of 2024 is the last class to be given a fifth year of NCAA eligibility due to COVID-19. Getting the opportunity to play for Coach Bowers and VWU has been nothing short of amazing.”
Head women’s soccer coach Jeff Bowers credits a great relationship with the soccer coaches at Longwood as being extremely helpful in recruiting Jernigan to continue her collegiate career at Virginia Wesleyan.
“Camille brought a tremendous amount of experience and leadership to the team this year,” notes Bowers. “As a soccer player, she is extremely skilled and has a high IQ as a player. I’m grateful for the opportunity to coach Camille, however more importantly, I enjoyed getting to know her on a personal level—she is going to be extremely successful in life and I cannot wait to see where she goes next!”
Jernigan, who hails from Raleigh, North Carolina, says she chose to play a fifth year at VWU because she wanted to experience opportunities that a lot of athletes don’t get the opportunity to.
“To take advantage of my fifth year of eligibility, I was looking for a program that would still challenge me academically and allow me to continue to compete at a high level even after transferring from a Division 1 program. The history of success that the women's soccer program at VWU carries provided the perfect environment for me to continue my academic and athletic careers.”
Women's soccer at VWU completed the season with an in-conference record of 8-2, and an overall record of 10-6-3. The team made it to the ODAC championship game, but fell short to Washington & Lee.
Jernigan, who earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in marketing in May 2024, was also active on campus at Longwood: as a member of the women’s soccer team, with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), and Morgan’s Message, a nonprofit organization designed to amplify stories, resources, and expertise to strengthen student-athlete’s mental health. In addition, she worked as a study hall monitor in the athletic department during her undergraduate years.
She says that she decided to pursue her MBA at Virginia Wesleyan because of the flexibility offered by the fully online program. This enabled her to balance soccer, schoolwork and an internship, making it the perfect fit for the continuation of her academic and athletic careers.
“My internship in Marketing and Communications has offered hands-on experience with social media, content creation, and event promotion and coverage. Working closely with the marketing and communications staff, creating newsletters, contributing to feature articles and taking photos at events, has allowed me to sharpen my creative skills. This experience is giving me a chance to grow both professionally and creatively, helping me build skills that will be valuable in my future career.”
Her biggest challenges this semester have been balancing work, her courses, and soccer. “In undergrad, I was just a student athlete, but in my grad program, I am a working student athlete, and that took some getting used to at first.”
She says that this experience has been incredible, though extremely busy.
“Managing an internship on top of schoolwork and soccer has definitely been an adjustment for me. Going from working all day, to practice for two hours, and then coming home and doing homework is very taxing. Making sure I was prioritizing my work/life balance was huge.”
She notes that the best thing about her experiences thus far have been the people.
“The relationships I have built in the short amount of time I have been here are amazing. My coaching staff, the friends I've made on the team, and my Media and Communications work buddy, Laynee Timlin, have all supported me from the second I stepped foot on campus, and I couldn’t be more thankful for that.”
Now that her collegiate soccer experiences are officially behind her, she’s feeling a bit nostalgic. Jernigan says that she will remember everything about her last season, especially scoring the game-tying goal in the ODAC semifinal game against Lynchburg!
“It's hard to put into words. Saying goodbye to the sport that has been a part of my life for the last 20 years is incredibly bittersweet. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to represent two outstanding programs, and to do it all surrounded by the best people was truly an honor. The lessons I've learned, the friendships I've formed, and the countless memories will stay with me forever. While it's hard to walk away from soccer, I know this chapter has shaped who I am in ways I’ll carry with me in whatever comes next. I’m so thankful for every practice, every game, and every challenge that has made this journey unforgettable. This game will always have a special place in my heart.”
Her journey underscores the importance of adaptability, time management, and support systems in achieving personal and professional goals.
What's next? Of course, graduating with her MBA in 2025 is at the top of the list, as is completing her internship in May. She’s keeping her options for the future open. However, her ambition for a career in sports marketing seems like a natural extension of her talents and passions. The combination of her academic achievements, hands-on internship experience, and leadership qualities undoubtedly set her up for a bright future.