This feature originally appeared in the 2024 Spring edition of the Cal Sports Quarterly. The Cal Athletics flagship magazine features long-form sports journalism at its finest and provides in-depth coverage of the scholar-athlete experience in Berkeley. Printed copies are mailed four times a year to Bear Backers who give annually at the Bear Club level (currently $600 or more). For more information on how you can receive a printed version of the Cal Sports Quarterly at home, send an email to CalAthleticsFund@berkeley.edu or call (510) 642-2427.
 
 
It's often said a Cal hat or Cal shirt can provoke a "Go Bears" anywhere in the world.
 
That apparently includes an NFL training camp on the other side of the country.
 
Track & field's Adriana Ellard and Lacrosse's Kalena Johnson had the unique experience of interning for the Washington Commanders last summer. The opportunity came about thanks to the generosity of Ron and Stephanie Rivera, a proud Golden Bear couple that sought to help the Cameron Institute provide career exposure for Cal student-athletes.
 
Ron Rivera was an All-American linebacker for Cal during the 1980s and is the former head coach of the Washington Commanders while Stephanie played basketball for the Golden Bears. The couple met in Berkeley and have been married for 40 years.
 
"We were sitting at a table for lunch and (Ron and Stephanie) came and sat a table away from us. Halfway through lunch, they dropped a little "Go Bears," Johnson said. "The Cal spirit there was super high. Even other coaches on the staff who had come from the Pac-12, they loved it."
 
Johnson and Ellard spent three weeks at the Commanders training camp last summer getting an up close and personal look at the complex inner workings of an NFL franchise. Johnson secured a role as an operations intern while Ellard worked as a nutrition & performance intern. Both came about after engaging with their career advisors at the Cameron Institute.
 
"The Cameron Institute provides a lot of guidance," Ellard said. "As student-athletes, there is a lot thrown at us, so they help us set our paths straight a little bit. I'm very grateful to the Riveras for giving us this chance and the opportunity to be out there and just try something completely new and open doors for us."
 
The internships came about after the Riveras engaged with the Cal Athletics Fund and expressed a desire to support student-athletes through the Commanders internship program. Dr. Bineti Vitta, the Cameron Institute's Director of Career Development, then worked with the Riveras to finalize the roles and get them promoted on The Golden Bear Network – Cal Athletics' signature online platform that connects Cal student-athletes to professionals and alumni for career support.
 
Cameron Institute Senior Career Development Advisor Ryan Rodriguez then reviewed the applicants and passed them on to the Commanders to choose the interns.
 
"An important part of helping student-athletes land a golden opportunity is giving them opportunities to prototype different careers," Vitta said. "That can be especially challenging for student-athletes due to their various demands academically and athletically. The internship with the Riveras is pretty special, and something we really want to expand on."
 
Some of Johnson's duties included shuttling Commanders players from the team hotel to the team's training facility, crafting travel itineraries and working with players' families and friends on assorted tasks. Ellard, whose father Henry enjoyed a 16-year playing career in the NFL, is interested in pursuing a career in sports nutrition or medicine. Some of her job assignments included keeping the players' supplement stations stocked, monitoring snacks and drinks stations and working with players' weigh-ins to make sure they are at their desired weight.
 
"It definitely gave me a greater appreciation being an athlete because there are a lot of things you just never think about – just how much of an integral role that operations plays and making sure everything goes smoothly in that kind of environment," Johnson said. "I feel like a lot of things go easily unnoticed and it's definitely given me a greater appreciation."
 
The Cameron Institute was made possible thanks to a generous endowment gift by C. Bryan Cameron in 2019. The Cameron Institute is looking to become a fully endowed model. If you want to participate in mentorship or philanthropically, please contact the Cameron Institute (CameronInstitute@berkeley.edu).
 
If you would like to support Cal student-athletes with career development through mentorship or  work experiences like a job shadow, project work, internship, or job, go to calbears.com/cameroninstitute and sign up through the "Get Involved" form or join The Golden Bear Network.