Arlington, Texas ¡ª The Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation today announced that it will now begin accepting applications for the 2025 Charley Pride Fellowship Program presented by The Parrish Charitable Foundation. For a fifth straight year, the program will grant opportunities to five college students from diverse backgrounds to complete a 10-week internship program across various departments of the Texas Rangers front office.

Founder of The Parrish Charitable Foundation and 2024 Linz Award recipient, Roland Parrish, will once again partner with the Rangers Foundation to back this unique initiative. Mr. Parrish was recently elected to the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation¡¯s Executive Board of Directors after lending his support to the program since its inaugural season in 2021.

¡°We, The Parrish Charitable Foundation, are pleased to again be associated with the Texas Rangers and to sponsor the Charley Pride Fellowship program,¡± said Parrish. ¡°The program matches our mission of making a difference for students from underserved communities. There are graduates of this program who are working in the Major League Baseball front offices, and others who are working in sports and entertainment related businesses throughout the country.¡±

Created in honor of the late country music star and close friend of the Texas Rangers organization, Charley Pride, this program aims to build a launching pad for students from diverse backgrounds looking to gain experience in a Major League Baseball front office. Thus far, twenty college students from universities across the U.S. have participated in the program, receiving extensive opportunities in the baseball and business departments of the organization.

Several former fellows from the program¡¯s first four classes have already gone on to secure long-term positions in the sports and entertainment field, including Alexandria Bradshaw (Nashville Predators), Kendall Coleman (Milwaukee Brewers), Cornysia Island (Graduate Assistant Coach for University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Volleyball), Neemekh Mudvari (Telemundo Houston), David Simpson III (Prairie View A&M University, Athletic Department), Alexis Delagarza (Dallas Baptist University, Athletic Department), and Jordan Thomas (Long Island Nets).

Additionally, Class of 2023 fellow Josh Marcellus, a former Texas Rangers Youth Academy athlete and coach, was hired in a full-time position with the Texas Rangers¡¯ REV Entertainment following his graduation from the University of North Texas.

Those who wish to apply to the program can do so online at rangers.com/charleypridefellowship. Please note, the application window will close on April 4.

Further program details and application requirements are outlined below:

Background

Charley Pride is an American icon and Texas treasure that has exemplified military service, music entertainment, and America¡¯s pastime, baseball. Having recorded over 30 No. 1 hits with GRAMMY and Country Music Association Awards under his belt, Charley¡¯s first love was always baseball. He pitched professionally in the Negro and Minor Leagues throughout the 1950s before embarking on his Hall of Fame singing career of more than 60 years. He then became a regular participant at Texas Rangers spring training camps in Pompano Beach and Port Charlotte, Florida, and Surprise, Arizona, working out with the team and staging an annual clubhouse concert for players and staff¡ª a tradition that continued through the spring of 2020. On March 14, 2021, the Rangers honored Charley¡¯s memory by dedicating one of the practice fields at their Surprise complex as Charley Pride Field.

The Rangers were honored to have Charley be part of the team¡¯s ownership group for more than ten years. A longtime resident of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, he was a regular at Rangers home games when his schedule permitted. He sang The Star-Spangled Banner one final time before the first regular-season game played at Globe Life Field on July 24, 2020.

Program

The Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation established the Charley Pride Fellowship Program to help create a launching pad for college juniors and seniors from diverse backgrounds to gain experience inside a baseball front office. The Foundation will hire, train, and support the five Fellows as they transition through a 10-week rotation within different Texas Rangers Baseball Club departments. This unique opportunity will place candidates in roles with the Rangers while providing them with valuable cross-disciplinary experience, which will benefit them should they pursue a career in professional sports or any other industry.

The details of the program were in the process of being finalized when Mr. Pride passed away on December 12, 2020, at the age of 86. The program was officially announced on March 18, 2021, what would have been Mr. Pride¡¯s 87th birthday. Officials from the Texas Rangers were joined in the announcement by Mr. Pride¡¯s wife, Rozene Pride, his son Dion Pride, his longtime friends and fellow Country Music stars Garth Brooks, Larry Gatlin, and Neal McCoy, along with prominent Dallas businessman and philanthropist Roland Parrish.

Eligibility

• Seeking students from diverse backgrounds to apply
• Candidates must be rising college Juniors or Seniors (enrolled in a bachelor's degree program)
• Minimum GPA of 2.5
• A passion for and knowledge of baseball is preferred, but not required
• A 10-week commitment to participate in the program

Application Documentation

• Resume
• Cover letter
• Transcript
• A personal statement (500 words or less)
• Two letters of recommendation

Implementation

The Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation will provide five fellows per calendar year to various departments within the organization. It should be noted that these fellows do not take the place of existing internships.

Charley Pride Fellows will commit to:

• A 10-week opportunity, 20-hour workweek
• A three-department rotation based on their interests
• No absences (unless excused due to illness, etc.)

Fellowship Positions

A Charley Pride Fellow will select three departments to work in during their time with the Rangers. This person will experience firsthand the day-to-day operations of Major League Baseball front office.

Departments available to fellows include:

• Accounting/Finance
• Ballpark Entertainment, Promotions & Production
• Baseball Operations
• Business Analytics
• Business Partnerships
• Communications
• Human Resources
• Marketing
• REV Entertainment
• Ticket Operations
• Ticket Sales & Premium Services

Timeline

• January 15, 2025: Application Window Opens
• April 4, 2025: Application Window Closes
• May 27, 2025: First Day of Fellowship
• August 1, 2025: Last Day of Fellowship