VOLeaders, a program which seeks to develop student–athletes as leaders, is made possible thanks to support from people like 1980 alumni Donnie and Terry Smith.
Make a GiftWhen Vols struggle in life, other Vols step in to help them beat the odds and achieve great things.
Mary Cayten Brakefield’s story is an example of this. A three-sport athlete in high school, the Nashville native excelled at swimming and set her sights on obtaining a spot on UT’s team. Her father and older brother are both alumni.
Brakefield, who also qualified for the 2016 US Olympic trials, was awarded a scholarship prior to her arrival at UT.
“They always tell you that when you find the right school you’ll feel it,” Brakefield said. “I’ve always loved Tennessee, the Vols, the Tennessee spirit, and just everything about it.”
However, Brakefield’s journey as a UT scholar and athlete quickly became a challenge. After one practice during her sophomore year, she collapsed in the locker room and found herself convulsing on the floor with a concussion.
A medical ordeal began for Brakefield that would culminate in a diagnosis of the rare Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome combined with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. The first is a rare mutation that manifests itself differently among people, and the second causes high fluctuations in heart rates.
They always tell you that when you find the right school you’ll feel it. I’ve always loved Tennessee, the Vols, the Tennessee spirit, and just everything about it.
– MC Brakefield
Through it all, though, she never gave up. Brakefield now says if it wasn’t for VOLeaders, Tennessee’s unique leadership program, she would not have made it beyond sophomore year.
VOLeaders, a program which seeks to develop student–athletes as leaders, is made possible thanks to support from people like 1980 alumni Donnie and Terry Smith. Donnie is the former CEO of Tyson Foods Inc. and with Terry, has made a significant investment in the future of the academy.
As part of the program’s culminating service immersion trip abroad, Brakefield visited Ecuador and met with members of the Ecuadorian Paralympic Committee. This inspired her to become active in disability issues and awoke an entrepreneurial spirit in her.
During her junior year at UT, Brakefield created her own fashion and jewelry company: Cayten and Co. The clothing line is aimed at making it easier for those with disabilities to dress themselves each morning and also has a jewelry collection suitable for almost anyone.
She got the idea speaking with Paralympians Justin Vijay Jesuda and Shams Aalam as part of UT’s Global Sports Mentoring Program.
“They told me how difficult it is for them to get dressed in the morning, and that just shocked me,” Brakefield said. “They’re so successful and capable in so many ways, but they struggle with something that seems so basic and we often take for granted.”
During her senior year at UT, Brakefield pitched Cayten & Co. in the Graves Business Plan Competition, hosted by the Haslam College of Business and made possible by donor support, and earned $2,000 in seed money to grow the company.
Looking to the future, Brakefield’s plans are to attend the Savannah College of Art and Design for graduate school. There, she’ll continue to further herself as a designer, businesswoman, and advocate.
“I’m really excited to get to dive in full time to working on making things that can truly change the world,” Brakefield said. “Fashion has the power to change society for the better.”
