CONCORD, N.C. - Brianna Blackshear had never followed professional sports and that certainly included NASCAR.
But she knew an opportunity when it was presented.
Blackshear, who graduated with a degree in Business IT Support last December from Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, seized the chance to intern at Hendrick Motorsports in the Team Operations Center and on the Help Desk. For her work, she was named the recipient of the 2024 RCCC Work-Based Learning Student of the Year Award.
A small ceremony was held in the 24-48 Building lobby on Thursday afternoon.
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“I was just looking for an opportunity to test everything I had learned in college,” Blackshear explained. “I spoke with Hanif (Miller of RCCC) and he said, ‘I might have found something for you but are you willing to let go of your weekends?’ And I was like, ‘Absolutely’.
“This has been the most fun I’ve ever had. It doesn’t even feel like work.”
Her responsibilities over the last year have included supporting race engineers and troubleshooting issues during races while also syncing videos and photos in real time.
She called the role, "high-pressure', and Hendrick Motorsports director of IT, Matt Cochran, agreed. He was also on hand for Thursday's ceremony and said success stories like Blackshear's are pivotal for the future of the organization.
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“We certainly rely heavily on the community college system from North Carolina as we look at Industry 4.0 and what all that means for manufacturing and additive manufacturing and technology in general,” Cochran explained. “There’s a huge boom in North Carolina for that. RCCC has done just a fabulous job working with us, helping us land some of the younger talent we’ve got and Brianna certainly fit that category. She gave up her weekends all year and really came into a high-pressure environment and succeeded. We couldn’t be happier for her.”
Blackshear, a native of Hartsville, South Carolina, is pursuing a bachelor's degree online in industrial technology with a focus in cyber security from East Carolina University.
But as she pursues further education, Blackshear said her plans are to stay right here where she's found a home somewhere she never expected to.
“Really, the main thing is how it feels like a family here,” Blackshear said. “Even as an intern, I feel like a regular, full-time employee. I’ve always been treated like one of everyone else and I really appreciate that and that helped with my learning journey as well.”