March 5, 2015 UCF Athletics Social Media Directory
By Andy Seeley
UCFKnights.com
ORLANDO (UCFKnights.com) - Time was running out. The situation was getting serious. Kayla Darden knew she could seal the deal, but she needed an assist.
Yes, Darden was a star on the pitch for the UCF women's soccer program. However, this wasn't an NCAA Tournament game where Darden was looking for a cross in front of the opposing goal to knock in the game-winner. This was about her career, her life post-graduation.
It was summer of 2014. Darden was set to graduate in less than six months. She knew what she wanted to do but wasn't quite sure how to get there. She had a conversation with UCF Director of Athletics Todd Stansbury about her situation. Unbeknownst to her at the time, that one conversation was going to have a huge impact on the rest of her life.
"I went to a networking event in the summer, desperate ... senior year, I needed to network, I needed to get a job," Darden said. "Todd Stansbury came up to me and he was like, `What do you want to do?' I was like, `I'm really looking to get into sales, Todd. I'm a little worried. I have one semester left, I haven't interned anywhere.' He said, `You know what? We need to get going. We need to get this show on the road.'"
Coincidentally, Stansbury was in the midst of discussions with UCF Trustee Alan Florez, Executive Vice President of Brown & Brown of Florida, and some of Florez's colleagues about a program Stansbury had coined the `First Round Draft Choice Program.' He mentioned Darden to Florez. One week later, there was an interview.
Darden - with an assist from Stansbury - took advantage of the opportunity and scored a position with Brown & Brown.
"For Brown & Brown, student-athletes are excellent candidates for what we do," Florez said. "Being able to face defeat, but get back up by your bootstraps is really important, not only in our business, but in life. These are individuals who are incredibly competitive and disciplined. When you combine those two things, it's very powerful and it makes you successful in life as much as it made them successful in athletics."
In December, at a graduation celebration for UCF student-athletes, Darden addressed those in attendance. She encouraged her peers to take advantage of all the programs UCF Athletics provides - networking opportunities, mentorship, resume building, life skills, etc. - to better prepare themselves for life after graduation.
Then, Darden thanked Stansbury for his role in her new career. She was noticeably choked up.
"She obviously got pretty emotional," Stansbury said. "In this business, that's why we do it. To take somebody who may not have these opportunities if it wasn't for coming to UCF on an athletic scholarship, see them develop over the four years they're here and then ultimately get a great career opportunity ... and to see how appreciative she was of that. Then, recognizing how much we played a role, it was pretty gratifying."
Darden says there is plenty of gratitude to go around UCF Athletics for helping prepare her.
"I'm so thankful," she said. "It felt sincerely genuine that each and every one of them wanted me to succeed. I can't thank Todd enough. I want to thank my coaches (Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak and Tim Sahaydak), as well. Not only did they set up an environment for me to be successful, they made it a lifestyle. So coming (to Brown & Brown), it's now a lifestyle to work hard and compete. (The women's soccer program's) motto is `Best Is Our Standard' and now that's ingrained in me. UCF did that."
Less than two months after Darden began her career with Brown & Brown, the company became the first corporate partner of UCF's First Round Draft Choice Program, which will be housed at the new Wayne Densch Center for Student-Athlete Leadership, which is slated for completion before the end of 2015.
"Todd really did help me get the ball rolling," Darden said. "He did his part and I did my part. Now, I'm here and I'm really thankful. I sealed my deal. Brown & Brown and UCF sealed their deal. We're making history now."
Stansbury said Darden's story is the perfect example of why the First Round Draft Choice Program will be so beneficial.
"Kayla had all the characteristics Brown & Brown was looking for," Stansbury said, noting that it took his chance conversation with her to put Darden together with Brown & Brown. "Now our corporate partners are going to be engaged in the program. So over the course of four years, they're going to know these kids. They're going to know who their First Round Draft Choices are going to be."