MSU Federal Credit Union Unveils 2025-2026 Women of Sparta Cohort

EAST LANSING, Mich., Oct. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Michigan State University Federal Credit Union (MSUFCU) is proud to announce the second cohort of its Women of Sparta program.

Women of Sparta was developed by MSUFCU to be a comprehensive NIL program for women's sports at Michigan State University. It is designed to provide student-athletes with support beyond typical NIL deals, which are often focused solely on financial compensation.

The 2025-2026 cohort features outstanding athletes from a variety of sports, showcasing the talent and dedication within MSU women's athletics:

• Cross-country: Cookie Baugh (senior)
• Field Hockey: Madeline Lawlor (graduate student)
• Golf: Shannon Kennedy (senior)
• Soccer: Emerson Sargeant (senior)
• Softball: Britain Beshears (senior) and Payton Conroy (junior)
• Track and Field: Mia Rogan (junior)
• Basketball: Isaline Alexander (redshirt senior), Kennedy Blair (junior), Jalyn Brown (senior), Marah Dykstra (senior), Theryn Hallock (senior), Rashunda Jones (junior), Abbey Kimball (senior), Jordan Ode (freshman), Emma Shumate (senior), Inés Sotelo (sophomore), Amy Terrian (freshman), Anna Terrian (freshman), Grace VanSlooten (senior), and Juliann Woodard (sophomore).

"So glad to be back for another year representing MSUFCU in its Women of Sparta program!" shared Cookie Baugh in an Instagram post. "I'm so excited for another year of growth, competition, and representing a program that empowers female student-athletes both on and off the field."

The Women of Sparta program offers financial education, personal branding workshops, mentorship programs, job shadowing, and internship opportunities. Offering more than traditional NIL arrangements, MSUFCU's expanded program is dedicated to helping student-athletes build essential professional skills and achieve success in their future careers.

"This year's Women of Sparta cohort exemplifies excellence on and off the field, demonstrating dedication, resilience, and leadership," said April Clobes, President and CEO of MSUFCU. "We are proud to support them with opportunities to build leadership skills, gain financial education, and prepare for success as future leaders in their communities." 

MSUFCU has a rich history of supporting MSU women's athletics, having partnered as a presenting sponsor of the MSU women's basketball team for more than 10 years and offering NIL contracts for all eligible women's basketball players for the past four years. This expanded initiative now includes opportunities for all women's sports at MSU, reflecting the Credit Union's commitment to fostering excellence and empowerment.

MSU coaches discuss the importance of this partnership in this video.

To learn more about the Women of Sparta program, visit msufcu.org/womenofsparta.

ABOUT MSUFCU
Founded in 1937, MSUFCU has a national reputation for excellence and has received several top industry and workplace awards, including being named a Best Credit Union to Work For® by American Banker for the sixth year, a Top Workplace by the Detroit Free Press for 15 consecutive years, and a National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For® winner for seven consecutive years. MSUFCU has also been certified as a Great Place to Work® for 11 consecutive years and has been recognized by the Credit Union National Association, earning first place for the people-helping-people philosophy Louise Herring Award. The Credit Union operates an award-winning, wholly owned credit union service organization, Reseda Group; along with digital financial platforms AlumniFi, Collegiate, and Pillur Business Banking; trade name Oakland University Credit Union; and its foundation, the MSUFCU Desk Drawer Foundation. MSUFCU is headquartered in East Lansing, Michigan; and has 36 branches; more than 370,000 members; $8.26 billion in assets; and 1,200-plus employees. For more information, visit msufcu.org.

SOURCE MSUFCU