The two years Kelly Anderson Diercks just completed as a beneficiary of the Division III Ethnic Minority and Women’s Internship Grant program did more than affirm that she wants a career in intercollegiate athletics.

She says it gave her a “huge jump start” toward her goal, shifting her progress into “fast forward.”

Division III annually awards grants of $23,100 to schools and conferences, which they in turn use to hire ethnic minority or women candidates as full-time staff members for a two-year period. The amount includes a $20,100 salary, plus $3,000 to provide interns with such professional-development opportunities as attending the NCAA Convention and Regional Rules Seminars, or to enroll in programs such as the NACWAA/HERS Institute for Administrative Advancement. The institution or conference also contributes at least $3,700 annually toward a recipient’s expenses.

The program is one of the division’s most important initiatives to improve the numbers of ethnic minorities and women recruited into athletics administration or coaching positions at member schools.

The program has attracted so much interest – dozens more schools and conferences have requested funds than have been allocated to support the 15 open positions offered annually – that Division III this year will add four more positions, boosting the total to 19 internships.

This year’s recipient list includes 12 schools and one conference that won grants for the first time in the seven-year history of the program.

Diercks just finished a two-year stint under an internship as assistant director of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and this month parlayed that experience into a job as assistant director of athletics at Augsburg, an MIAC member school.

The grant the MIAC received in 2006 benefited both Diercks and the conference so much that the league applied for and received another grant for 2008-10.

“There is a genuine need in Division III athletics to increase the numbers of women and minorities within administration,” says MIAC Executive Director Dan McKane.

“This grant helps us continue to improve our services to the members of the MIAC. The individual selected for this position receives a quality experience that should lay the groundwork for a successful career in athletics administration.”

Diercks said the internship was especially beneficial in two ways: The two-year term enabled her to tackle long-term projects for the MIAC, such as a celebration of the 25th anniversary of league sponsorship of women’s sports, as well as work in areas ranging from rules interpretation and education to sports information (she helped create the league’s new Web site) to serving as co-advisor to the MIAC’s student-athlete advisory committee.

She now will be performing those same duties for Augsburg, where Athletics Director Jeff Swenson cited Diercks’ “incredible array of skills in many areas” in announcing her hiring.

“I think Kelly is going to be a key component in our athletics department as we move forward,” he said.

Her selection for that job – and similar successes for other internship recipients – promises long-term benefits for Division III.

“I would really like to stay in Division III,” says Diercks, who played softball at Gustavus Adolphus, where she was team captain.

“I really agree with the philosophy of student-athletes being students first – where the athletic experience enhances the academic experience. It really agrees with me.”