Willamette alum takes on national role to increase inclusivity in college sports

Josh Perez BS'23, MBA'24 has secured a position at the NCAA's national headquarters in Indianapolis, where he will help shape collegiate athletics' initiatives around equity and inclusion as one of the Office of Inclusion's postgraduate interns for 2024-25.

The NCAA Office of Inclusion works collaboratively with member institutions to promote and enhance diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and accessibility across all divisions of intercollegiate athletics to foster belonging and well-being.

While an undergraduate at Willamette, Perez played on the Men's Basketball team, served on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, and also created programming for the athletics department which is where his interest in inclusion work began.

"It all started with partnering with the former mens' basketball coach, Kip Ioane, and facilitating workshops around toxic masculinity and sexual assault prevention," Perez said. "It was great being able to have conversations and run convention booths with him, and working together to promote healthy minds in our male students on campus."

Perez's undergraduate major also shaped his path. "I was an Exercise and Health Science Major, so that, combined with those experiences, led to me wanting a career not only in athletics but in the equity and inclusion realm."

As an intern, Perez is working on NCAA initiatives that have the potential to create change at universities across the nation. One of his focuses for the year is working on the Paralympics Committee, as well as advocating for transgender student rights within NCAA committees. Perez will be helping to formalize and create more inclusive bylaws for the NCAA.

"My experience so far has been incredibly impactful, as I've had the chance to learn from industry leaders while contributing to meaningful Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging work that supports institutions across our membership - it has truly exceeded my expectations," Perez said.

The challenges students faced during the COVID-19 pandemic inspired Perez to pursue a career in equity and inclusion. For Perez, equity and inclusion can help ensure that no college students feel alone.

"One of my goals is to look at the ways we can reduce the number of students who feel a lack of belonging, and consider how to promote and create avenues for that," Perez said. "We go to college to grow as scholars and academics, but we all look at life through our own lens. It's a challenging transition for students because some of their role models are no longer with them, and we ask them to show up and be authentically themselves."

With his commitment to authenticity and ability to create spaces where others are free to be vulnerable, Perez is poised to bring his significant work at Willamette to an even larger stage.