GORHAM, Maine – University of Southern Maine junior Victoria Harris (Altus, Oklahoma/Lewiston), a member of the Huskies' women's basketball team, is one of a few hundred current and former student-athletes selected to participate in the NCAA Career in Sports Forum that will be held virtually May 26-28. 

In its 12th year, the NCAA Career in Sports Forum is a three-day event that welcomes student-athletes from across the NCAA Divisions and is designed with the primary focus of aiding student-athletes in their career pursuits after exhausting their athletic eligibility and earning their undergraduate degrees. Emphasizing careers in collegiate sports, this unique virtual programming experience will help student-athletes chart their career paths, while presenting a variety of opportunities for attendees to learn from leaders in the field.

Using an interactive and engaging virtual setting, participants in the 2021 NCAA Career in Sports Forum will have options to connects with each other, including small group breakout rooms, networking hubs and an exhibit hall where participants can speak with industry professionals and other attendees.  It is the goal of the NCAA Career in Sports Forum to educate participants on how personal strengths intersect with career opportunities, provide participants with tangible experiences that will push them forward in their career aspirations, explore professional and career development strategies to help the transition to a career in sports, and to learn about the varied roles of college coach or athletics administrators.  

"I've always known that whatever I chose for a profession, I wanted it to involve athletics," said Harris, a Health Science major and the University of Southern Maine.  "After some trial and error, I have had a hard time pinpointing a specific career in sport. I am hopeful that my experience at the NCAA Career in Sports Forum will provide me with the guidance and insight I've been seeking out to lead me in the right direction."  

A student-employee in the Athletic Department's Media Relations office, Harris is a three-year member of the Huskies' basketball team.  A Maine Women's Basketball Coaches Association (MWBCA) All-State selection and team captain, Harris is also a founding member of Huskies' SADIE (Student-Athlete Diversity, Inclusion & Equity) Committee, and serves as one of two University of Southern Maine representatives and is a founding member of the Maine SAOCC (Student Athletes of Color Committee) – the only intrastate collegiate partnership between all schools and their diversity committees.  Harris has also been actively involved with the University's Intercultural, Diversity and Equity Committee as a student-athlete representative. A council that is made up of students, faculty and staff, IDEC works with University leadership to steward the creation and sustainability of a safe, inclusive, diverse and anti-racist campus for people of all identities.

"Victoria has been a role model for her peers as a competitive basketball player, resilient student, and developing young professional," commented Huskies' women's basketball coach and SAAC Advisor Samantha Norris.  "She has pushed herself outside of her comfort zone so often this year and it's truly been special to see how she demonstrates her composure under pressure and adaptability into situations such as mock interviews, team discussions, and self-care. I'm confident that her transferable skills as a student-athlete will shine at this event and guide her on her career path."

Having recently completed her junior season at Southern Maine, Harris has quickly developed into one of the top centers in the Little East.   Harris led USM in scoring and rebounding in an abbreviated six-game season in 2021, averaging 13.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game while shooting 48.3 percent from the field.  She averaged 2.0 steals, 1.1 blocked shots and 1.33 assists per game.  In 58 career games, she has 615 points, 301 rebounds, 62 blocked shots, 92 steals and 39 assists. For her career, she is averaging 10.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.58 steals, and 1.06 steals per game and is shooting 46.5 percent from the floor.