For those who aren’t familiar with SAAC, can you explain what the organization is and its purpose?
SAAC is a committee full of student-athlete representatives that works to enhance the student-athlete community and experience. This group of student-athletes organize events that increase school spirit and involvement.
How did you first get involved in SAAC?
I first got involved with SAAC my sophomore year as a representative for my team. One of my coaches recommended that I try it out and once I learned more about it, I wanted to get more involved on my own.
How was your experience as a SAAC representative?
My experience as a SAAC representative has been a great introduction to seeing how athletics events are planned as well as improving the overall student-athlete experience.
What made you want to serve as SAAC president?
I wanted to become SAAC president because I am passionate about creating a community within the teams of athletics. I wanted to serve in a position where I could listen to my fellow athletes and take their thoughts and ideas and put them into action.
What are some of your visions or goals for SAAC in 2024-25?
One of my biggest goals for this year is to increase involvement between the different sports at this school. It becomes very comfortable to stay within your own team, but my goal is to create an environment where athletes can branch out and find a community outside of their team. The athletics community it so unique and one that we will not get to experience again in our lives, so I want to do my best to help athletes embrace that and not let it pass them by.
If there is a student-athlete who wants to get involved, what is the best way for them to do that?
The best way to directly get involved would be to talk to Hannah Mitchell (Student-Athlete Development Coordinator) or their respective team SAAC representative. Other ways to get involved would be to attend the events planned by SAAC this year; there will be at least one per quarter where SAAC representatives will be in attendance.
Even with the busy schedule of being a Division I athlete, you have been able to find success on the court, in academics and in the community. What advice would you give to incoming freshmen in terms of balancing the demands of being an NCAA Division I student-athlete and getting the most out of their experience?
The biggest tool that helped me organize my schedule was to write it all down by hand at the beginning of the week. This allows me to visualize all my commitments and plan ahead for making food or socializing. Another huge tip that I am still working on is balancing my schedule. I personally am the most successful when I have a balance between sports/school and a life outside of that. I need to plan out time for myself where I do things that are not related to school or sports. For me, this is key to performing my best on and off the court.
