As a basketball administrator and coach with the Jamaica Basketball Association, Melissa Farquharson said playing sports and getting an education were her “ticket out of the inner city and into a better life.” She describes herself as “blessed and inspired.” Much of her success can be attributed to a supportive mother and father and a relentless determination to achieve her dreams and “find a way out.”
She will be mentored by Delise O’Meally, Director of Governance and International Affairs and Karen Morrison, Director of Gender Inclusion at the NCAA.
The NCAA’s commitment to impacting the lives of young people through education and sport participation make Karen and Delise a perfect match for Melissa. The NCAA experience will help equip Melissa with new ideas for the National Basketball Programs and will provide her with the statistics she needs to encourage more girls to participate in sports. The NCAA will help Melissa find the correlations between sport participation, graduation rates, and life skill development and assist her in promoting sports, life skills, and education in Jamaica.
