CWU track star plans to pursue a career in sports business

With the 2024 Summer Olympics getting underway this week in Paris, Juliette Williams is going to be keeping a close eye on the U.S. track and field team.

The standout CWU athlete and recent College of Business graduate developed a keen interest in sports marketing over the past three years, and she hopes to one day combine her passions as she builds her career path.

“My end goal is to work for USA Track and Field someday,” said Williams, an accomplished sprinter for the Wildcats who earned her degree in business marketing, with a minor in sports business. “I have always loved the business world, and I’m excited to get started.”

Williams is working a sales job near her hometown of Arlington this summer as she begins her search for positions in the sports business realm. She is hoping to find an entry-level sales representative job and then eventually work her way up to a marketing role.

“I’m just looking to get my foot in the door so I can develop some experience,” she said. “Most of the people I’ve talked to in the industry have started out doing ticket sales and then moved into different roles. Getting started is the most important thing, and then I can show what I am capable of.”

Williams is hoping that her experience with the CWU Sport Management Association will give her a leg up as she makes her mark in the industry. She praised Professors Sean Dahlin, Brian Rolfe, and Paul Ballard for their leadership and for helping her make connections in the industry.

The highlight, she said, was traveling to a conference in Las Vegas with her peers in February 2023.

“We got to meet tons of different people who work in so many different settings,” Williams said. “It was cool talking to the panelists and learning how they got to where they are today. We learned that all you need to do is start talking to people and good things are going to happen for you. The biggest thing I took away from those conversations was how to make lasting connections.”

Williams also spoke highly of the professional development opportunities that were afforded to her in the College of Business. She said she appreciated how smoothly the business marketing program was run, and she credited her professors for teaching her the skills she will need to be successful.

As a result, she feels extremely well prepared as she enters the professional world.

“My program was really well-structured, and my professors were really engaged,” Williams said. “I had to work really hard — I practically lived in the library — but they were always willing to work with me so I could fulfill my commitments with the track team. I feel like I got really lucky.”

That good fortune was apparent in all facets of Williams’ CWU career. She also benefited from a rewarding on-campus job as an office assistant in the Learning Commons. With the help of Director Channas Stewman, Williams became a better problem-solver, improved her personal relations skills, and learned how to be more resourceful.

“I loved working there because Channas really cares about us,” Williams said. “She taught me so much and was always there to support me — even at my track meets.”

After all, track and field is what brought Williams to CWU in the first place. She was originally recruited by Central during her senior year of high school in 2017, but, back then, she wasn’t sure she wanted to commit to being a full-time student-athlete.

Three years passed and she decided that she did want to pursue a college degree, so she enrolled in online classes at CWU in 2020. She ended up moving to Ellensburg in the fall of 2021 and joined the track and field team after reestablishing contact with the coaching staff.

“I hadn’t competed since my senior year of high school, so I was pretty proud of myself for being able to maintain my form,” Williams said. “I didn’t look or feel like a track athlete, but I was able to show the coaches enough that they took a chance on me.”

The program’s investment in Williams paid off as she qualified for the Great Northwest Conference (GNAC) Championships in all three seasons, earning at least one medal at each of the indoor and outdoor championship events from 2021-24. She even won a pair of GNAC championships this year in the 4 x 100 relay (outdoor) and 4 x 400 relay (indoor).

“I feel like I had a pretty good run at Central,” Williams said. “I made it to the GNACs all three years, and I got to work with three different coaching staffs, who all helped me in different ways. I owe a lot to this program.”

Although her competition days have come to an end, Williams’ appreciation for CWU will stay with her for years to come.

“Central was a great place to spend a couple of years,” she said. “I was so busy with work and school that I didn’t get to experience the Ellensburg culture as much as I would have liked. But the things I learned and the people I met are going to benefit me for the rest of my life.”