Kate Massey, 35

Growing up, Kate Massey thought she would follow in the footsteps of her grandparents, both teachers in Chicago public schools. She graduated from Illinois State University with a degree in political science and English, secondary education. However, after a yearlong teaching internship, she says she realized: “This is just not the right fit.”

Today she works with students but in a different capacity, as executive director of the IMG Academy Foundation. The foundation, launched in 2022, supports both the Bradenton-based boarding school for student-athletes and its online recruiting programs. Massey herself is a student-athlete: she ran track and field all four years of college.

Photo by Mark Wemple