McLean County Times

As the year-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of NCAA Division III concludes, Illinois Wesleyan University's athletic department's #DIII50 series highlights Emma Thorman and Eddie Cisneros.

Emma Thorman, a highly decorated women's golfer from Macomb, Ill., and Eddie Cisneros, a rising senior football defensive back from the Chicago suburbs, both found their place in the Illinois Wesleyan Athletic Communications department. Their experiences exemplify the opportunities presented through a Division III experience as each used a work-study job to pursue their passions.

For Thorman, her journey began with a group text. Knowing her background with Macomb's local newspaper and that the athletic communications department was seeking student workers, IWU head women's golf coach Patrick Freeman introduced her to Katie Gonzales, Assistant AD for Athletic Communications.

Thorman became integral to the athletic communications department and attended nearly every Titan athletics event she could. An accomplished student-athlete with numerous accolades including College Sports Communicators First Team Academic All-America and Women's Golf Coaches Association All-America honors, Thorman contributed significantly over four years.

"Working in athletic communications has opened so many doors for me that I didn't even know existed," Thorman shared. "I've been given so many opportunities to learn various skills that will benefit me in my future career."

A secondary education and English major, Thorman published numerous stories for iwusports.com and took on roles such as statistician for events and analyst for IWU women's basketball broadcasts. She also volunteered at the "First Four" of March Madness alongside Gonzales and others.

"The chance to volunteer at the First Four of March Madness was truly a dream come true," Thorman reflected. "Witnessing firsthand what goes into making such a large-scale event run was an incredible learning experience I will never forget."

Selected as one of eight Division III students to attend CSC Convention in Las Vegas through the NCAA Division III CSC Student Program this past March, Thorman valued the networking opportunities it provided early in her career.

"I am very thankful to the NCAA and the CSC Student Program selection committee for allowing me to make meaningful connections," she added.

Thorman graduated from IWU in May and will pursue her master's degree at Northern Illinois University while competing on their women's golf team and working in their athletic communications department.

Cisneros joined the athletic communications department after his freshman football season. With a creative flair, he has filmed or photographed nearly all of IWU's 26 athletic programs since 2021.

"Working in athletic communications has helped me connect with so many amazing people," Cisneros shared. "It has brought me opportunities I never would've imagined coming into IWU."

Cisneros played a significant role within athletic communications as IWU's go-to student videographer. He contributed to video efforts during key events like Titan men's basketball's run to the Elite Eight in 2022 and various CCIW Championships. He also produced hype videos and assisted with recruiting materials for several programs.

"Eddie has captured some of the greatest moments in Titan athletics over the past three years," Gonzales said. "His creative mind has pushed our department to grow."

This past spring, Cisneros combined his interests by volunteering at the NFL Draft content team in Detroit.

"Being part of the NFL Draft content team was great," Cisneros shared. "It was a really cool experience both personally and professionally."

Outside sports, Cisneros is active in SALSA (Spanish and Latino Student Association), using his skills to promote club events through photography and videography. Proud of his Mexican-American heritage, he was interviewed by CCIW about his identity as a Division III football student-athlete last fall.

NCAA Division III stands on three pillars - Discover, Develop, Dedicate - embodied by Thorman and Cisneros who pursued their interests academically, athletically, and professionally during their time at IWU.