COLUMBUS, Ohio- The Great Midwest Student-Athlete Advisory Committee gathered in Columbus along with conference staff for its annual summit.
The two-day summit started with a community engagement activity in conjunction with Columbus Parks & Recreation. On Friday, July 25, over 30 G-MAC SAAC members traveled to Willis Athletic Complex to spend time with youth campers. For two and a half hours, G-MAC SAAC members split into groups and participated in a variety of activities.
“Working alongside Columbus Parks and Recs as student-athletes throughout the past few years has allowed us to create countless fun and meaningful memories with the youth in the Columbus community,” said SAAC Chair Camryn Pickerill. “These experiences have not only brought joy to the kids we’ve connected with, but have also given us the opportunity to grow as leaders, mentors, and role models. Giving back through games, activities, and conversations has been rewarding and showed the importance of service, teamwork, and compassion both on and off the court or field.”
Friday evening ended with a presentation from 925 leaders’ Sterling Brown and Emmy-Award winning speaker Timothy Alexander. The three-hour presentation included hands-on activities centered around service to others, positive leadership, and practicing gratitude.
“Sterling and TA did a great job connecting with us and empowering us to be intentional with our influence as leaders,” said G-MAC SAAC Vice Chair Kaelan Swallow.
Saturday morning began with a business session led by SAAC president Camryn Pickerill. During the session a new executive board was voted on by the group.
Tiffin’s Dominic Giacona will serve as the next SAAC Chair for a two-year term. Giacona is a junior on the men’s lacrosse team and serves as the SAAC president for the Dragons.
Savahnna Gyasi-Nimako from Urusline College was voted by her peers as the next social chair. Gyasi-Nimako is a junior on the Track & Field team.
The group ended the weekend with a DISC assessment presented by Assistant Commissioner Katie Gilhooly.
The Great Midwest SAAC meets five times a year, twice a semester via video conference and once each summer at an in-person summit.