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Student-Athletes Engage in SAAC Experiences
8/2/2022 2:00:00 PM | Field Hockey, Football, Rowing, Women's Lacrosse, Women's Soccer, Track & Field, Volleyball, Athletics
DURHAM – Duke student-athletes had the opportunity to engage in numerous experiences throughout the summer with SAAC and other groups on campus.
BLACK STUDENT-ATHLETE SUMMIT
Duke was represented by two student-athletes, DeWayne Carter (football) and Ade Owokoniran (volleyball), at the Black Student-Athlete Summit in Houston, Texas. The summit, hosted by Rice University, brought together hundreds of Black student-athletes and athletic administrators who support their experiences, to engage in workshops, speeches and networking. The summit also provided professional staff with tools to create initiatives on their campuses to help Black student-athletes thrive, and to help position them as prepared and competitive candidates in the global workforce beyond graduation. Alexis Joseph (women's lacrosse), Elijah Wroten (football), Elasia Campbell (track & field), Dorian Mausi (football) and Malik Bowen-Sims (football) also attended the summit.
"The Black Student Athlete Summit was an incredible and unforgettable experience," Carter said. "I was surrounded by athletes who look like me from all over the country, and we were able to connect with and learn from business professionals who look like us as well. It was an experience of a lifetime, and I'll never forget it!"
NIL SUMMIT
Duke's Emily Cole (track & field), Sophie Jones (women's soccer) and Gavin Spurrier (football) attended the NIL Summit in Atlanta. Built by student-athletes, for student-athletes, the NIL Summit is an immersive multi-day professional development experience and gathering place for college sports' most important stakeholder to share cutting-edge ideas, discover new interests, and learn how to maximize NIL opportunities to build their brands and amplify their voices.
"Having the opportunity to be a part of the inaugural NIL Summit is something I will forever be grateful for," Cole said. "The connections with both fellow athletes and brands that I made during the two days have already gone on serve me so well and I know will prove invaluable for the rest of my career. I was extremely honored to be nominated for the hustle award and speak on the Invesco QQQ financial literacy panel. I made lifelong friendships and learned just how much incredible opportunity there is with name image and likeness if we as athletes are willing into to put in the work ourselves - and work together."
ACC SAAC | In-Person Meetings
DeWayne Carter (football) and Piper Hampsch (field hockey) represented Duke at the ACC SAAC in-person meetings in Charlotte. In addition to the meetings, Duke's participants attended the "Dinner of Influence", which invited former ACC student-athletes working and living in Charlotte to interact with current ACC athletes. Former Duke student-athletes Amber Henson (women's basketball) and Caroline [Helwig] Dudley (field hockey) attended the dinner and spearheaded a visit to Accenture where Dudley is the managing director.
ACC UNITY TRIP
Duke's Jaylen Coleman (football) and Gracie Johnson (volleyball), along with Michael Howard (managing director/recreation facilities) joined a group of ACC representatives on a trip to Selma and Montgomery, Ala., for a transformational and educational experience on social justice.
The conference announced that in total 48 student-athletes and administrators from all 15 league institutions participated in the experience, which took place from July 15-17, and included an immersive journey to one of the centers of the civil rights movement. The group participated in a variety of activities highlighted by a march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the site of the 1965 Bloody Sunday attack.
The initiative, conducted in collaboration with the Big Ten and Pac-12, is part of the ACC's commitment to supporting student-athletes through meaningful educational opportunities, including the area of social justice. The trip is part of the league's social-justice platform, ACC UNITE.
"Being able to talk to athletes outside of a competitive environment was pretty unique," Coleman said. "It was great to see so many athletes who cared about this. I thought everyone was respectful and understood the gravity of what the trip meant. I think we've all been able to take away something that we can give back to the university and our teams as well."
ATHLETES UNITE CONFERENCE
Duke's Brandon Hersh (football) and Paige Knudsen (rowing) attended the Athletes Unite Conference in Atlanta. A conference for athletes – the emphasis is on mental health while providing an experience for athletes to create businesses and career opportunities through sports, entrepreneurship and technology.
"The Athletes Unite conference gave me a chance to meet many young professionals who had participated in college sports at an elite level," Hersh said. "Talking to them about how they were able to translate their experiences to the workplace and create opportunities for themselves was eye-opening, and it made me excited for my future."
#GoDuke
BLACK STUDENT-ATHLETE SUMMIT
Duke was represented by two student-athletes, DeWayne Carter (football) and Ade Owokoniran (volleyball), at the Black Student-Athlete Summit in Houston, Texas. The summit, hosted by Rice University, brought together hundreds of Black student-athletes and athletic administrators who support their experiences, to engage in workshops, speeches and networking. The summit also provided professional staff with tools to create initiatives on their campuses to help Black student-athletes thrive, and to help position them as prepared and competitive candidates in the global workforce beyond graduation. Alexis Joseph (women's lacrosse), Elijah Wroten (football), Elasia Campbell (track & field), Dorian Mausi (football) and Malik Bowen-Sims (football) also attended the summit.
"The Black Student Athlete Summit was an incredible and unforgettable experience," Carter said. "I was surrounded by athletes who look like me from all over the country, and we were able to connect with and learn from business professionals who look like us as well. It was an experience of a lifetime, and I'll never forget it!"
NIL SUMMIT
Duke's Emily Cole (track & field), Sophie Jones (women's soccer) and Gavin Spurrier (football) attended the NIL Summit in Atlanta. Built by student-athletes, for student-athletes, the NIL Summit is an immersive multi-day professional development experience and gathering place for college sports' most important stakeholder to share cutting-edge ideas, discover new interests, and learn how to maximize NIL opportunities to build their brands and amplify their voices.
"Having the opportunity to be a part of the inaugural NIL Summit is something I will forever be grateful for," Cole said. "The connections with both fellow athletes and brands that I made during the two days have already gone on serve me so well and I know will prove invaluable for the rest of my career. I was extremely honored to be nominated for the hustle award and speak on the Invesco QQQ financial literacy panel. I made lifelong friendships and learned just how much incredible opportunity there is with name image and likeness if we as athletes are willing into to put in the work ourselves - and work together."
ACC SAAC | In-Person Meetings
DeWayne Carter (football) and Piper Hampsch (field hockey) represented Duke at the ACC SAAC in-person meetings in Charlotte. In addition to the meetings, Duke's participants attended the "Dinner of Influence", which invited former ACC student-athletes working and living in Charlotte to interact with current ACC athletes. Former Duke student-athletes Amber Henson (women's basketball) and Caroline [Helwig] Dudley (field hockey) attended the dinner and spearheaded a visit to Accenture where Dudley is the managing director.
ACC UNITY TRIP
Duke's Jaylen Coleman (football) and Gracie Johnson (volleyball), along with Michael Howard (managing director/recreation facilities) joined a group of ACC representatives on a trip to Selma and Montgomery, Ala., for a transformational and educational experience on social justice.
The conference announced that in total 48 student-athletes and administrators from all 15 league institutions participated in the experience, which took place from July 15-17, and included an immersive journey to one of the centers of the civil rights movement. The group participated in a variety of activities highlighted by a march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the site of the 1965 Bloody Sunday attack.
The initiative, conducted in collaboration with the Big Ten and Pac-12, is part of the ACC's commitment to supporting student-athletes through meaningful educational opportunities, including the area of social justice. The trip is part of the league's social-justice platform, ACC UNITE.
"Being able to talk to athletes outside of a competitive environment was pretty unique," Coleman said. "It was great to see so many athletes who cared about this. I thought everyone was respectful and understood the gravity of what the trip meant. I think we've all been able to take away something that we can give back to the university and our teams as well."
ATHLETES UNITE CONFERENCE
Duke's Brandon Hersh (football) and Paige Knudsen (rowing) attended the Athletes Unite Conference in Atlanta. A conference for athletes – the emphasis is on mental health while providing an experience for athletes to create businesses and career opportunities through sports, entrepreneurship and technology.
"The Athletes Unite conference gave me a chance to meet many young professionals who had participated in college sports at an elite level," Hersh said. "Talking to them about how they were able to translate their experiences to the workplace and create opportunities for themselves was eye-opening, and it made me excited for my future."
#GoDuke
Players Mentioned
WR
/ Football
Multi-Events
/ Track & Field
DT
/ Football
Distance
/ Track & Field
RB
/ Football
G
/ Field Hockey
CB
/ Football
OH
/ Volleyball
M
/ Women's Soccer
D
/ Women's Lacrosse
/ Rowing
LB
/ Football
MB/OH
/ Volleyball
QB
/ Football
OL
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