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Aug. 28, 2008
Kendra Saunders ORLANDO, Fla.- As most student-athletes were heading off campus to rest their minds from their past semester of learning, I was heading home to prepare for my next big learning experience. I unpacked my bags from school just to repack for my trip to Orlando, Fla., for the 2008 National Student-Athlete Leadership Conference. The conference provides student-athletes the opportunity to discuss various areas within the educational setting. Some of the topics to be discussed at the conference included: leadership enhancement techniques, decision making and problem-solving skills, as well as communication between athletes, coaches, administrators, and faculty. I had heard from my fellow MEAC SAAC representatives who had attended the conference in 2007 that this would be a life-changing event and it was. The experience started for me at 5 a.m. May 25, at the Toronto International Airport. Excitement continued to grow at the Washington Dulles Airport, where large masses of student-athletes gathered at the gate awaiting our plane to Disney World. The days started early, and ended late to pack in as much information as possible for me to bring back to the Hawk family to help continue UMES' growth as an organized and well-respected part of the community. The conference motivated me to stand up for what I believe in, and to fight for what I want, even when setbacks seem to be standing in the way. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that even though UMES is a smaller school, we have been given more opportunities to improve ourselves in the athletic and academic departments, as well as overall life skills then some of the big-name schools across the U.S. Dr. Danita Townsend is a huge part of the success of the programs implemented in the athletic department. I walk away from the couple of days in the magical world of Disney standing a little taller, feeling a little braver and most definitely ready for the challenge of continuing to take our Hawk program to the next level. The opportunity I was given to venture to Orlando has changed me as a student-athlete and as a catalyst for change.
A great deal of thanks is owed to Dr. Townsend for nominating me for this opportunity, to the NCAA for making such a spectacular event possible and to all the student-athletes from all over the world, from different institutions and different teams for sharing their stories with me and helping me to grow as a person. |
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