UC San Diego

The Triton Rising Orientation is the Athletics Department’s formal introduction to incoming scholar-athletes. The goals of the program are threefold: (1) welcome our newest scholar-athletes into the Triton Family, (2) introduce them to UC San Diego Athletics Department culture, expectations and resources, and (3) begin the process of developing life skills that will elevate their experience at UC San Diego.  

Triton Rising Orientation is built around the five course values of UC San Diego Athletics: 
Excellence:  We strive for greatness in all that we do.
Integrity: We always act in an honest and ethical manner.
Inclusion: We value a diverse and equitable environment, creating a culture of belonging that honors all backgrounds, perspectives and life experiences.
Innovation: We inspire creativity and distinction by challenging the process.
Resilience: We have a spirit of determination and the ability to thrive in the face of adversity.

Scholar-Athletes will engage with multiple experts and guest speakers on campus which include, but are not limited to: Director of Athletics, Faculty Athletic Representative, Academic Integrity Office (AIO), Sexual Assault Resource Center (SARC), Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Athletic Performance and Mental Health, and Academics.

Attendance is required for all incoming first-year and transfer scholar-athletes.

The Exploring Scholars Series is for second year scholar-athletes with two purposes: 1) to serve as a proactive measure for helping scholar-athletes explore possible majors as well as plan for academic success while maintaining athletic eligibility and 2) to encourage scholar-athletes to think about the academically-related opportunities that become more relevant and available in the third and fourth years of their collegiate journey.  

During this series, scholar-athletes will engage with their Athletic Advisors as well as their Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) to discuss the progression of their academic planning as it relates to their athletic eligibility, as well as the importance of building an academic network with their instructors, advisors and resources on campus. Scholar-athletes will also collaborate with an expert from the UC San Diego Career Center to begin developing their personal career roadmap and receive an introduction to the basics of resume writing and applying for jobs and internships. 

Attendance is required for all second-year scholar-athletes. Transfer scholar-athletes who are in their first year at UC San Diego are also highly recommended to attend. 

The Pathway to Success Workshop is for all third-year scholar-athletes. This workshop is designed to help scholar-athletes develop and/or perfect their resume, as well as provide tools and best practices for applying for jobs and internships. Scholar-Athletes are also encouraged to begin thinking about their own “personal brand” and how to promote themselves and their personal story to prospective employers. This information is prevalent for all third-year scholar-athletes, whether next steps are graduate or professional school or searching for a job. 

Attendance is required for all third-year scholar-athletes, and fourth and fifth years are welcome to attend again for a refresher.

Triton Athlete Networking Night
In collaboration with the UC San Diego Career Center, the Athletics Department hosts an evening for fourth-year scholar-athletes featuring distinguished UC San Diego alumni athletes and campus partners. Scholar-athletes rarely have a structured opportunity to discuss (or even acknowledge) their pending transitions away from their student and athlete identities and how to successfully move into the professional, post-collegiate world.  This event provides scholar-athletes with:

1. A structured opportunity to discuss their upcoming transitions into the professional, post-collegiate world;
2. Examples of and tips from UC San Diego alumni scholar-athletes who have navigated their own transitions into the professional, post-collegiate world;
3. Insight into the skills they already possess as scholar-athletes that increase the likelihood of them successfully transitioning into the professional, post-collegiate world;
4. Information on resources available to help them stay connected to the UC San Diego community & successfully transition into the professional, post-collegiate world.

Attendance is required for all fourth-year scholar-athletes, and fifth years are welcome to attend again as well.

Ready, Set, GO! 
A series of workshops and opportunities for graduating scholar-athletes to help build life skills necessary to excel in life after athletics. 

Workshop topics include but are not limited to: 
Financial Literacy
Financial Planning
Mental Health and Well Being
Life Transitions
Personal Success Planning 

The Emerging Leaders Workshop is designed to equip Triton Scholar-Athletes with skills to enhance their abilities to lead themselves and others.  Emerging Leaders Workshop provides self-reflective opportunities for personal development and empowerment. This workshop is 50 min and held weekly for the duration of the quarter.  The curriculum is based Jeff Janssen’s “The Team Captain’s Leadership Manual”.  For more information or to sign-up, email: Corrie Falcon, Director of Leadership and Coach Development cfalcon@ucsd.edu

Advanced Leaders Workshop builds on the Emerging Leaders Workshop by providing a work group to discuss real-time leadership topics. Advanced Leaders is designed for scholar-athletes who are no longer preparing to become leaders on their team but are now acting in these leadership roles.  For more information or to sign up, email: Corrie Falcon, Director of Leadership and Coach Development cfalcon@ucsd.edu

Leaders in Action is the final step of completing Triton Leadership Academy. Leaders will actively participate in an Implicit Bias training and follow-up with an in-depth discussion. Leaders in Action will also participate as an Orientation Leader and Scholar-Athlete Mentor for our first-year students. Graduates will receive a certificate and recognition at the All-Athlete Banquet.

Educational training for team captains and leaders to advance skills in equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), hazing and sexual harassment, academic integrity and leadership skills. This training is a two part series and required for all team captains and leaders.

NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum