To Grand Valley State University, the term “prospective student” doesn’t only apply to high school seniors. In fact, GVSU is reaching out to students as young as middle school age to promote the university and encourage them to pursue a post-secondary degree.

Athletes Who Care, a program created by the LAKER Academic Success Center, grants GVSU student-athletes the opportunity to connect with young students by bringing them from charter and mentor schools to the Allendale Campus for a day-long event that focuses on exposing the life of a collegiate student-athlete.

Damon Arnold, director of student services for Laker Academics, serves as a motivational speaker during the program.

“We try and get them all up here at least once throughout the year,” Arnold said. “The only rule we have for groups is that it can’t be a high school. We go up to eighth grade.”

Abigail Johnson, the program coordinator for Athletes Who Care, said that participating in the program has provided her with more than just experiences with the students.

“One of the most valuable aspects of the program has been networking with Grand Valley’s charter schools in promoting AWC’s services,” Johnson said. “I think the partnership between higher education and K-12 is incredibly important, and I am so happy that I have been able to work with a program that works toward bridging the gap that often exists between the two.”

The day-long event gives visiting students a tour of the GVSU campus, a motivational speech by Arnold and an opportunity to talk with a panel of student-athletes. Kalena Franklin, a track and field student-athlete at GVSU, has served one session on the panel.

“I got involved with AWC through DeAnna Poland and Dr. Arnold,” Franklin said. “They like their athletes to get involved in other things besides their sports and classes.”

Franklin said she felt it was her duty to get involved with the program and inspire the visiting students to become student-athletes like her.

“A lot of people think it’s hard to maintain grades and sports, but they work together and build strong traits a person can use throughout life,” Franklin said.

The panel is made up of current GVSU student-athletes who answer questions from visiting students on a wide range of topics.

“They ask basic questions about college life and also about what it’s like to be a basketball or football player,” Arnold said.

Franklin said the visiting students always have a lot of questions to ask, but she doesn’t mind answering them.

“The most interesting question I was asked was, ‘Has there ever been a moment in your sport that time just stops, and you were in the zone?’” Franklin said. “If you’re a student-athlete, this question is hard to answer. When you’re in the zone, you don’t even realize it because you’re in the zone.”

Franklin said one of the important aspects of the program is to show the visiting students determination and to give them a look inside the lives of student-athletes.

“Some athletes were okay in high school or middle school, but kept with it because they loved it and now are amazing at what they do,” Franklin said. “It’s important for athletes because sometimes we lose sight of why we do what we do, and when we start talking about it, the reasons come out.”

Many of the students who attend the AWC program do not have mentors or people in their lives that have attended college, Johnson said, so the program exposes them to the aspect of higher education.

“The goal of the program is to get students excited about the idea that they can continue their education,” she said.

Arnold added that the program, which is funded through the GVSU Charter Schools Office, gives visiting students the opportunity to see what college life is like, see the GVSU campus and take them out of their own environment.

While the benefits to the visiting students may be apparent, Franklin said GVSU also benefits from the visits.

“It brings all our sports together to discuss why we love doing what we do. We learn from each other, creating a better environment for improvements in athletics,” Franklin said.

Other than the daylong event, student athletes can also get involved with helping young students through many other opportunities with the LAKER Academic Success Center, Johnson said.

“Student-athletes can be placed in any grade and can volunteer both in and out of the classroom,” Johnson said. “Tasks include tutoring, reading, helping out at the playground or in the lunchroom, assisting teachers with grading.”

For more information about the LAKER Academic Success Center, visit www.gvsu.edu/lakeracademiccenter.
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