Our GladiatHers Spotlight this week is a Miami native making her mark in Missouri with Women Leaders in College Sports. Jessica Barquero joined Women Leaders in College Sports in 2018 as the Leadership Programming, Education, & Events Intern and moved her way up to Coordinator of Leadership Programing & Events.
Barquero oversees and executes all of the Women Leaders in College Sports institutes and leadership programs: Women’s Leadership Symposium, Institute for Administrative Advancement, Leadership Enhancement Institute, and Executive Institute. Along with Co-leading the Women of Color Initiative, Barquero also manages all of the scholarship opportunities and distributions.
Prior to landing at Women Leaders in College Sports, Barquero was a Graduate Assistant in Student-Athlete Enhancement with the University of South Florida Athletics Department. In this role, Jessica worked to provide holistic student-athlete development programming for all 17 varsity sports and served as the co-instructor for the Selmon Mentoring Institute program. Additionally, she assisted in hosting the 2018 NCAA Track & Field East Regional Meet as the director of volunteers.
Barquero is a proud graduate of USF earning her Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science and Master’s degree in Education, with a specialization in curriculum and instruction. During her time at USF, Barquero was also a hurdler on the track and field team. Keeping true to her running roots, Barquero also served as the Accreditation and Community Engagement Intern during the 2016 US Olympic Trials for TrackTown USA.
In 2017, Barquero was selected to participate in The United States Olympic Committee’s Finding Leaders Among Minorities Everywhere (FLAME) program. The program provided diverse college and graduate-level students with a unique look into the world of elite sport. Accepted students participated in personal and professional development workshops in preparation for a career in sports. The FLAME program utilizes a wide-ranging network of speakers with expertise in their fields to engage diversity and inclusion related topics connected to the sports industry.
Barquero enjoys running, strength training, spending time with family and friends, and eating delicious food in her free time. She is also a Brand Ambassador for Chosen Vessels Apparel where she is able to express her faith in Jesus Christ through fashion!
This GladiatHer is devoted to inspiring and empowering every individual to maximize their potential through a holistic approach. Barquero emphasizes the importance of learning how to be coachable, stating we all make mistakes, but a leader is someone who doesn’t make excuses and views a mistake as an opportunity to learn and grow.
To learn more about Jessica Barquero, connect with her on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-barquero .
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