Charlotte, North Carolina, the hub of corporate America and NASCAR, has given one Cyclone an opportunity that only 35 students nationwide experience each year.

Rising senior Camryn Hubbard, a member of Iowa State’s track and field team, earned a spot in the NASCAR Next Internship Program (NIP). 

With fewer than 1% of the 4,400 applicants accepted, Hubbard represents Iowa State, Cyclone Athletics, Alpha Kappa Alpha and most importantly, herself, on one of NASCAR’s biggest stages.

“[I am] very grateful for the experience,” Hubbard said. “Very proud to have been able to come here and gain this experience, especially to represent my sorority and everything like that.”

Photo courtesy of Camryn Hubbard

This 10-week internship saw Hubbard take on a role in partnership marketing activation. Although this marks Hubbard’s first corporate-based internship, this was not her first time working in sports. 

During the 2025 Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk series football game, Hubbard took on a role as a student runner for the FOX production team. 

Hubbard turned her time at FOX to best market herself, which ultimately led to one of NASCAR’s most prestigious internship opportunities.

“I’m supposed to be in a snack tent, but now I’m watching this live from the production truck, things like that,” Hubbard said about her time with FOX. “Just taking those small opportunities and making the most of them”

While with NASCAR, Hubbard has transcended her original professional goals in genetics to her current path in technical communications. 

Hubbard has learned the tools necessary to manage, communicate and facilitate corporate partnership involvement with NASCAR.

A large part of Hubbard’s ability to quickly adapt to this role goes to managing the life of being a student-athlete. 

Photo courtesy of Camryn Hubbard

“I was prepared a lot to have to balance multiple things at once,” Hubbard said. “It’s very similar to the lifestyle that I live right now in school.”

Hubbard, a middle-distance athlete, has set her personal bests during the 2026 track season with a 1:20.80 in the indoor 600-yard and 2:08.94 in the outdoor 800m.

This year has encapsulated both new highs on the track and new experiences on the racetrack.  

In her first experience with NASCAR, Hubbard has found that applying herself and fully investing in her role have enabled her to thrive.

“How to maintain a business relationship and grow them while also having that bounce of enjoying your workplace while getting your work done and being good at your job.” Hubbard said about explaining her role. “I’ve seen that through my manager and through everybody in my department”

Photo courtesy of Camryn Hubbard

Another pillar of Hubbard’s life is her involvement in Greek life. Hubbard is a member and the historian of Alpha Kappa Alpha, a Divine Nine (D9) sorority.

Although Hubbard is 1,066 miles away from Ames and all of her sorority sisters, the cultural significance of Greek life is still with her.

While in Charlotte, Hubbard has met people nationwide and has found a point of connection in her team simply by being involved in D9 organizations.

The Greek commonality across the NIP has shown Hubbard other departments and what job components and environments she wants for herself.

“[The NIP] definitely allowed me to see what function of a job I like; it’s also prepared me because I do like working in activations and partnerships,” Hubbard said.  

Photo courtesy of Camryn Hubbard

Another way Greek life has established a concrete role within Hubbard’s time in the NIP is how to approach such a professional setting.

Hubbard entered this internship with minor corporate work experience, and yet the shift to professionalism was simple. 

“The way and the nature of how these D9 organizations function, you’re supposed to show up as your best self and be very put together,” Hubbard said. “It teaches you to put your best foot forward before coming to work”

As Hubbard has found her sorority sisters through AKA, a role she had before Iowa State is being a big sister to her little brother.

Balancing her time within academics, athletics, Greek life and her professional world all goes back to being the best example for her brother. 

Before all titles, Hubbard is a role model and cites her brother as her motivator.

“My little brother,” Hubbard said. “I have to be successful to give him a good example.”

The overlap of cornerstone parts of Hubbard’s life and growth has both found a home in the NIP.

Photo courtesy of Camryn Hubbard (Camryn Hubbard)

Hubbard’s senior year at Iowa State is quickly approaching and now she looks to reflect on one of motorsports’ most sought-out internships.

“This was my first big corporate internship too,” Hubbard said. “It was a feeling of ‘okay, I did that.’”

The popularity of working in sports continues to break new heights, and yet its reputation for being a difficult dream to accomplish halts people from striving for their goals.

Hubbard has proven to serve as a perfect example of how to achieve your goals of working in sports.

“If you know you’re a solid person, and you know you can do something, a lot of jobs in sports are teachable if you have the foundational skills,” Hubbard said. “If you can work hard, you listen, you focus and you get your work done, you’re gonna be okay.”