The Women’s Research and Resource Center (WRCC) hosted the second event in their series “The Next Season,” where they prepare athletes for their professional lives after collegiate sports.

“Negotiate Like a Pro” informed guests about assessed job offers, understanding gender, racial and sexuality pay gaps, as well as aligning compensation with financial goals. The event was hosted by Shira Brown, a lecturer in the Gender Studies department who also serves as the senior coordinator of the WRCC.

Brown said student athletes are not the only audience that may benefit these talks

“Students in general don’t even think about the salary as having that great of an impact down the line and it really does,” Brown said.

The event was hosted in the University Student Union (USU) East Conference Center, where both student athletes and non-student athletes alike attended. The event also included amenities, a raffle following the event and social programs to help students on campus.

Brown talked about the importance of female athletes being able to negotiate for themselves.

“They get paid differently — their teams get treated differently. Their ticket prices as well, so it’s important to know how to negotiate for yourself regardless of the area of the field you’re in,” Brown said.

The guests were given workbooks where they could practice interview and negotiation skills, as well as a research tool to find out how much people are making in fields attendees desire to work in.

Amani Britton graduated from CSUN in 2025 and was a track and field athlete. Britton commented on the importance of having a good preparation post-athletic career.

“A lot of athletes miss out on opportunities because we’re so congregated in one area, and we want to be able to let people know that there are different resources,” Britton said.

The workshop touched on several different aspects like wage disparities and explained how to properly advocate and negotiate for a better salary. Even for non-athletes, these important tools provide good advice for navigating professional workplace environments.

Another former graduate in attendance was Angelica Coulson, who currently works as a freelance illustrator. She found the workshop gave her the confidence to negotiate better with clients.

“It definitely inspired me to not be too shy as a small artist trying to break into a [profession] that I have no idea how it works,” Coulson said. “I’m going to use these resources to negotiate if someone wants a commission from me, it makes it less scary to talk about.”

The WRRC will continue this series with their next installment “Get Signed,” where attendees will learn to turn athletic experience into a strong, results driven resume and strengthen interview skills. The workshop will be held on Tuesday, April 28, at 5 p.m. in the USU East Conference Center Flintridge Room.