Leah to Leader
Roles:
2022 Rice University CubeSat Project (OwlSat) Project Team Lead
2021 Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Undergraduate Mentor
2019 Bridges to Prosperity All Women's Build - Kibembe, Uganda - Support Team Member (Please see Service Page for more information)
2x LSU Swimming and Diving Team Captain
2016-2017: LSU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Vice President of Student-Athlete Welfare
2017-2018: LSU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee President
3x Team Leader of Geaux Givers for Geaux Big Baton Rouge
Leadership has always been one of my strongest passions. I firmly believe that dedication, positive energy, and initiative organically creates leadership through a "by example" type role. I, fortunately, have been apart of many great programs - such as Bridges to Prosperity, the LSU Swimming and Diving Team, the Student Athletic Advisory Committee, and Geaux Big Baton Rouge, so my love was able to evolve into leadership.
"The most powerful leadership tool you have is your own personal example."
-John Wooden
I was elected to be the LSU Swimming and Diving Female Team Captain at the end of my sophomore year. I was on the younger side, and was initially intimidated by the role; I feared my older teammates wouldn't take my leadership seriously, and I felt I lacked the confidence needed for such a position. My teammates and coaches though reminded me I was elected for a reason and to keep "doing what I've been doing" which included working hard, buying in, supporting my teammates, and never losing a competitive drive. I was overjoyed to be elected for a second term to complete my eligibility as a Senior Captain.
Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC)
The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) is defined by the NCAA as a group of "student-athletes [who] have a voice in the NCAA through advisory committees at the campus, conference, and national level. Each committee is made up of student-athletes assembled to provide insight on the student-athlete experience and offer input on the rules, regulations and policies that affect student-athletes' lives on campus."
I was invited to become a member of SAAC the end of my freshman year. After understanding what SAAC was all about, I took initiative regarding an issue that was too quiet amongst Student-Athletes and the NCAA: Mental Health. I was eager to expose how large of an issue and health risk poor mental health could be, and I took it upon myself to develop a formal proposal to give to the Athletic Administration and to the SEC SAAC Conference regarding the implementation of a new Mental Health Initiative. In response to my proposal,
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LSU hired an additional 2 Sports Psychologists
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Various weekly group sessions have been implemented with topics ranging from:
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Injury in the sport
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Confidence and self-esteem
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Mindfulness
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I was elected to Vice President of Student-Athlete Wellness, then along to club Presidency.
There are also future plans to keep creating a change and eradicating the stigma revolving around mental health! I'm very excited to continue to see how else LSU Athletics will help their student-athletes.
A copy of my Mental Health Proposal is below.
Student Athlete Mental Health Proposal
