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Even after her own college playing career was done, Shinann Featherston was still juggling a lot of responsibilities at the University of North Carolina.

Featherston was serving as a volunteer assistant coach for the women’s team while completing a dual-degree program to obtain a law degree and a master’s degree in Sport and Fitness Administration/Management.

Shinann Featherston

Featherston wrote her thesis on finding an alternative to the NCAA Division I competition model. She explored having more regionalized conference models for Olympic sports to help cut down on travel and improve the student-athlete experience. She interviewed athletic directors, coaches and conference commissioners.

The people providing the best feedback? UNC head coach Brian Kalbas and then-assistant Courtney Nagle.

“They were really helpful with proofreading and giving me their thoughts,” said Featherston, who played at UNC from 2009-12. “It took a lot of work to get all that done, but I am really glad I did it that way because it was really fun to be coaching at the same time.”

Featherston, 28, has returned to her home state of New York to work as a legal coordinator for Major League Baseball. She largely works on contracts and legal agreements for special events like the All-Star Game and licensing.

“It’s a great organization to work for,” said Featherston, a blue chip recruit in the Class of 2008. “They treat their employees very well and I am very happy with the work I get to do.”