WINTHROP, Mass. – The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is pleased to announce that Suffolk senior softball student-athlete Samantha Jacques has been named to the GNAC's Marketing and Multimedia Specialist Internship. The Manchester, New Hampshire, native and Public Relations major will assist the GNAC staff for the remainder of the academic year.
The position was made possible through the NCAA Division III Diversity Funding for conference offices, as approved by the DIII Strategic Planning and Finance Committee (SPFC). This marks the fourth consecutive year the GNAC has hired an intern through the funding initative, following Emmanuel's Anna Stanley last year, Lasell's Kelsey Hagan in 2018, and Saint Joseph's College of Maine's Sarah Comtois in 2017.
Jacques has already begun working on task-based responsibilities for the league office, including graphic design efforts for its social media platforms. She will also serve in administrative roles at future GNAC Championships and other league events.
Also an Advertising Minor, Jacques is set to graduate from Suffolk with her Bachelor's this May. Not only has she worked for the Rams athletic department at Suffolk, but she has also worked for Harvard Athletics as a Game Day Marketing Intern, assisting with promotions, sponsorships and community relations.
Prior to that, the Manchester Central High School grad was a community relations intern for the Nashua Silver Knights summer league baseball team out of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL).
On the softball diamond for head coach Jaclyn Davis' squad, Jacques has registered 18 runs and 18 hits in 61 career games across her three-year collegiate stint. She is a three-time NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete, a three-time GNAC Academic All-Conference selection, and also is involved in with the Suffolk Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
"Sam has grown into a great leader on and off of the field," Davis said. "The time, effort and support that she provides within the Athletic Department is invaluable and we could not be more proud to have her represent Suffolk in the conference office. I know that Sam is fully prepared to make the transition after graduation and I know that she will work extremely hard for the GNAC."
Jacques and the Rams kick off their 2020 campaign down in Clermont, Forida, beginning March 7, playing 10 games in a seven-day span. Suffolk will begin GNAC play on April 4 against Emmanuel.
The GNAC is proud of its efforts in using this DIII grant to fund further networking opportunities for the student hirees, who through the funding initiative must attend a conference member institution.
Hagan was hired as Director of New Media at the D3 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) down in Georgia before becoming an Athletic Communications graduate assistant at Clemson University this past summer.
Meanwhile, Comtois has worked in production at NEWSCENTER Maine TV in Portland since graduating from SJC in 2018, and Stanley graduated from Emmanuel this past December and continues to assist the Saints athletic department.
For more on the transitions by Hagan and Comtois from college and their GNAC internships into their professional careers, please click HERE.