Three Successful Student-Athletes represent SEC at NCAA Convention

By: Corinne Meglic

Source: www.thesec.edu, www.msstate.edu, gatorsports.com, www.twitter.com

Being a student-athlete isn’t always easy. They must balance everything that is on their schedule, which is about two times more than a regular student would have. They are constantly doing something and when they do have free time, it may be spent with family, friends, or catching up on rest, but that time isn’t always promised. They are held to very high expectations from your parents, coaches and professors. If they are not meeting those standards, you have consequences. Being a student-athlete teaches you discipline, time-management and determination. Even though it may be hard, they are taught lessons not many students get to learn.

These three student-athletes have worked hard not only with academics at their schools but in their sport. They have succeeded standards and are leaders for their teams and for younger athletes. Khristian Carr, Blake Ferguson and Haley Lorenzen have all went above and beyond those standards. Not only do they lead themselves well, but they are a leader to their teammates and classmates. They show hard work, determination and focus towards their athletics and academics.

These three outstanding student-athletes were given the chance to represent the SEC at the NCAA Convention. This convention is held to discuss the possible governance rule changes at the NCAA convention in Orlando from Jan. 23-26. A staff member from SEC sports said, “The three student-athletes will represent the SEC as part of the Autonomy Conferences’ (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 12, SEC) efforts to engage and empower student-athletes by giving them both a voice and vote within a transparent decision-making process.” The purpose of the autonomy model offered by the NCAA is to give schools flexibility to schools in the five conferences to change and discuss different rules within Division 1. The sixty five schools involved go through a legislative process that involves three student-athlete representatives in each conference who will come together to vote on rule changes. All fifteen student-athletes from all five conferences will cast votes together.

Khristian Carr is a member of the Mississippi State women’s volleyball team and is apart of the student-athlete advisory committee. She is a communications major with a concentration in broadcasting. She also has been apart of the SEC community service team for two years. Carr has very high standards for herself and has specific goals for after college. According to an article from Mississippi State University by Heath Fisackerly, Carr states, “I want to go to New York after college because I feel like there are a lot of opportunities there,” Carr said, recalling that she fell in love with New York and its people during a spring break mission trip.”

Blake Ferguson is apart of LSU’s football team as a long snapper. He is the chair of the SEC football leadership council and is a three-time member of the SEC academic honor role. He graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and is looking to get a master’s degree in business administration. He was also awarded with the David Binn Award this year which recognizes the nation’s best long snapper. Ferguson was named to serve as the chair of the SEC football leadership council for two years in a row. When he found out the news, he responded to LSU Football’s tweet congratulating him. Ferguson responded saying, “Happy to represent such an awesome university” (@bferguson50).

Haley Lorenzen was apart of Florida’s women’s basketball team last year and served as vice chair of the women’s basketball leadership council. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degree in event management in May. She became the 25th Florida player to score 1,000 career points. Lorenzen wants to make an impact on younger athletes who wish to be a student-athlete someday or want to make an impact in their conference. In Gator sports article by Kevin Brockway, Lorenzen speaks about her experience on how her role changed. She says, “It used to be where coaches and administration had all the voice and student-athletes really didn’t have any. It’s been really interesting to see how decisions are changed as people have become more informed” (Brockway).

These three athletes are using all of their abilities to not only make a change in the NCAA rules for their voices to be heard, but they want to inspire others and become leaders. They want to influence younger athletes that they can make a change and can do anything once they put their mind to it. I am inspired by their hard work and I am more motivated to use every chance I have to not only enhance my experience, but to inspire other people to make a change. As a student-athlete myself, I want to inspire everyone that I am working with now, and in my future. These three student-athletes have motivated me to work hard now not only for myself, but for the people I want to impact.