The Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation has announced it is now accepting applications for the 2026 Charley Pride Fellowship Program.
For a sixth consecutive year, the unique program will enable five college students from diverse backgrounds to participate in a 10-week internship program across various departments of the Texas Rangers front office, starting on June 1st, 2026, and ending on August 7th, 2026.
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In order to be eligible, students must be rising college Juniors or Seniors (enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program), have a minimum GPA of 2.5, and a 10-week commitment to participate in the program.
The foundation is looking for students from diverse backgrounds with a passion for and knowledge of baseball, being preferred but not required.
To apply, students can go to rangers.com/charleypridefellowship and submit a resume, cover letter, transcript, a personal statement (500 words or less), and two letters of recommendation.
Ronald Parish, the founder of The Parrish Charitable Foundation, will once again partner with the Rangers Baseball Foundation to fund the program.
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“The Parrish Charitable Foundation is once again pleased to partner with the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation,” Parish said. “Sponsoring the Charley Pride Fellowship program matches our mission of making a difference in the lives of students from underserved communities.”
“This much-needed program provides an opportunity for junior and senior college students to participate in a hands-on internship program for 10 weeks,” he added.
“These students gain broad cross-disciplinary experience across various departments in the Texas Rangers front office. This experience is priceless as they begin their professional careers. It is also an added assist if they want to pursue a career in professional sports.”
On March 18th, 2021, the Rangers Baseball Foundation started the program on what would have been Charley Pride’s 87th birthday.
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Pride, the legendary country music artist, was a key figure throughout the Rangers history as he spent more than ten years in the team’s ownership group while residing in the DFW metroplex.
Annually, Pride would meet the team in Spring Training, often working out with them and performing a clubhouse concert for players and staff, a tradition that continued up until he passed in December of 2020. Pride performed the National Anthem in Arlington one final time on July 24th, 2020, the first year the Rangers played at Globe Life Field.
On March 14, 2021, the Rangers honored Charley’s memory by dedicating one of the practice fields at their Surprise complex as Charley Pride Field.