The partnership between Career Athletes and the University of Idaho athletic department provides a national representation of unique networking opportunities and career development resources for current and alumni athletes.

Jeremy Wang, University of Idaho Director of Development/Executive Director of the Vandal Scholarship Fund said, "We are looking forward to a productive relationship with Career Athletes.  One of our priorities as we grow as a department is to improve the way we keep in touch and stay engaged with our alumni athletes. 

"I believe that Career Athletes is a great addition in value to current I-Club members (University of Idaho's letter-winners club), and gives our alumni athletes a place where they can reconnect and share their expertise with our current student-athletes."

This Online Career Community Network will provide benefits such as mentoring, professional networking, virtual career coaching and 12 years of best practices from the leading and largest career services organization assisting athletes, athletic departments and campus career centers. 

"Our partnership with Career Athletes will greatly enhance our existing CHAMPS Life Skills Program by assisting in the development and pursuit of career and life goals," said Ana Tuiaea-Ruud, University of Idaho Director of Academic Services/CHAMPS Life Skills Coordinator. "I am excited to share this resource with our Vandal student-athletes, and feel Career Athletes brings to light the unique skill set that a student-athlete can bring to the professional world"

The University of Idaho Community Network consists of current and alumni athletes from the institution as well as local, regional and national employers all managed and monitored by Career Athletes at its home office in the Kansas City area.  Individual members of Career Athletes are also able to network with more than 65,000 community members from across the nation while having access to more than 5,000 career opportunities exclusive to www.careerathletes.com. 

Career Athletes also provides University of Idaho Athletics the unique ability to enhance fundraising and recruiting efforts while offering a revenue share program that allows the university to receive additional monetary resources.

"We are pleased to assist Idaho Athletics with its commitment toward career development of athletes, but it is also just as important to recognize the program's culture of achievement in community service, academic performance and athletic success," said DJ Washington, Vice President, Career Education and Training for Career Athletes.

The University of Idaho is no stranger to success as indicated by additional achievements during the 2009-2010 academic year:

• For the sixth-consecutive semester - the all-sport grade point average (GPA) for Vandal student-athletes was above a 3.0 GPA. This past spring student-athletes earned a 3.02 GPA.
• Twenty-four student-athletes earned a perfect 4.0 GPA during the spring 2010 semester.
• Idaho student-athletes earned 141 WAC All-Academic honors during the 2009-10 school year.
• Idaho student-athletes have been honored five times with the WAC's Stan Bates Award, which is given annually to the top male and female scholar-athlete in the conference. Track and field athletes Allix Lee-Painter and Jonathan Marler earned the award in 2010.
• Idaho Football student-athlete, Aaron Lavarias was selected to CoSIDA first-team Academic All-District team.
• Idaho Football student-athlete Mike Iupati was a consensus first-team All-American, an Outland Trophy finalist, and a first-round pick by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2010 NFL Draft.
• The Idaho women's golf team received an NCAA Public Recognition Award. Public Recognition Awards are given annually to the teams ranking in the top 10 percent in each sport based on their Academic Progress Rate (APR).
• Idaho Women's Golf earned an NCAA Regional Championships team bid for the second time in school history.
• Idaho Men's Tennis earned an ITA national ranking has high as No. 58 during the 2010 season, which was the highest ranking in school history.
• Track and field members, James Rogan and Allix Lee-Painter, were named CoSIDA second-team Academic All-Americans.
• Track and Field led the NCAA in 2010 with eight CoSIDA Academic All-District selections.
• The Idaho Women's basketball team was nominated for Women's Basketball Coaches Association Academic top 25.
• Four University of Idaho women's golfers were honored as Division I All-American Scholars by the National Golf Coaches Association.
• Daniela Cohen (women's tennis) was named CoSIDA second-team Academic All-District - Cohen was co-recipient of the Rich and Mary Fox Endowment, which goes to the University of Idaho graduating student-athlete with the highest GPA each year.
• Idaho Track and Field athletes won 18 individual WAC titles in 2010. The team also had 13 NCAA Preliminary Round qualifiers, seven NCAA Outdoor Championships qualifiers and two USTFCCCA All-Americans.
• The University of Idaho football team won the 2009 Humanitarian Bowl in what was called the most exciting game of the 2009 bowl season.
• Idaho student-athletes earned 44 WAC Athlete of the Week honors during the 2009-10 school year.
• Men's Tennis Coach Jeff Beaman received the University of Idaho Outstanding Employee Award.
• The University of Idaho has 22 all-time CoSIDA Academic All-America selections, dating back to 1978.

Idaho student-athletes participated in several community service projects the previous school year.  Some of the projects include: Paint the Palouse, Spokane Stars Basketball Clinic,  Trick-or-Treat at the Dome, Christmas for Kids, Reading to elementary students, Canned food drive, Relay for Life, First Year Build and many more. 

For more information on Career Athletes and to sign up for your FREE account, please visit: www.careerathletes.com