West Virginia University student-athletes will share personal stories of motivation and inspiration with the Morgantown community at the WVU Coliseum’s Jerry West Room from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Tuesday, March 19.
The program, Student Athletes Speak Out, will feature student-athletes from the football, women’s basketball and women’s soccer teams.
“My goal with Student Athletes Speak Out is for everyone to see what I see. I hope for the public to have a better understanding that student-athletes are people first,” said Dr. Carolyn Atkins, WVU professor of speech pathology and audiology in the College of Education and Human Services. “The student-athletes have persevered in many cases to make it to college. Speaking gives them a face and personality. It makes them human.”
In conjunction with the course, Speaking to Communities, Atkins has encouraged student-athletes to share their stories with the public for more than two decades. The student-athletes participated in other community activities this semester, including presentations to local schools.
“The course is very hands-on and provides individual interaction between the students and I,” Atkins said. “The course requirements encourage them to step up to the plate academically.”
The speakers, listed with the sport they represent and the title of their speech, are:
Kenneth (KJ) Myers Football G…O…A…L…S
Brandon Napoleon Football A Man of Value
Bryanna McCarthy Soccer Halfway There
Will Clarke Football Neither Anchor nor a Sail
Averee Fields Basketball Enough
Along with the March 19 event, the College has developed a website, http://saso.wvu.edu/, that features video messages from past and present WVU student-athletes promoting character education. The messages are targeted to middle school students and cover a wide range of topics, including alcohol and drugs, sportsmanship and integrity. It also includes Teacher’s Guides to accompany each topic. Three videos, sponsored by Chesapeake Energy, were added in the fall: “Character: Own it,” “Bullying is NEVER OK!,” and “Consequences of Bullying.”
