ATHLETIC SUCCESSES:
Dawn received a basketball scholarship to Washington State, where she was selected to the Pacific-10 All-Decade Team, won Pac-10 All-Academic honors three times and led her team to the NCAA Tournament. She began playing team handball in 1991 and joined the National Team in 1993. She has since played in over 100 international games and was a member of the 1995 Pan American Gold medal team and 1993 World Championship team that placed 12th. She is also a three-time gold medal winner at the U.S. National Championships, where she was the 1994 MVP, playing for the Colorado Springs Stars. She helped the U.S. Olympic squad in 1996 to an eighth place finish, then played professionally in Norway for two years. Most recently, she received MVP honors at the 1999 U.S. National Championships and was a member of the 1999 Pan American Team that placed fourth.

CAREER PATH:
While in school, Dawn completed internships with the USOC in Colorado Springs and with the Goodwill Games in Seattle. After graduating from college, Dawn received a Post Graduate Scholarship to the University of Montana, and began work toward her Masters in Athletic Administration, while acting as an Assistant Basketball Coach. While training for the 1996 Olympic Games, she worked in sports marketing in Atlanta. After the Games, Dawn played professional team handball in Norway for two years. She returned to the U.S. and accepted a job with the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the Olympic Winter Games in 2002. She currently manages the Community Olympic Development Program, which supports intermediate level athletes who have not yet attained national team status.

DAWN'S WORDS OF WISDOM:
"Lots of athletes focus solely on the Games while they're training and competing. There are many ways to prepare yourself for a career, even while you are training. Take a few college courses each year, or find other ways to advance your education and your career in your spare time. Take a course online, or even pick up a few career books at the bookstore. Every little bit helps prepare you for a life after competition. You can always be challenging yourself and your mind to do better."

"While you're training and competing, take advantage of every opportunity to network and meet people in the field that might interest you. For example, if you go to a sponsor event, use the time to talk to the sponsoring company, get to know people, get your name out there and make contacts. Those are a great opportunity to get in front of the public and get your name recognized. Get to know your fellow athletes too. They are the strongest network you have and will relate to you best."