GRAND FORKS, N.D. - One of the beautiful things that happen on university campuses across the country and world are the relationships formed between people who never would have crossed paths. That is certainly the case within the University of North Dakota's athletic department by way of the Women's Athletic Leadership Council (WALC).

WALC's mission is to foster UND women's athletics through communication, mentoring, and engagement, and that's what happened in February in conjunction with National Women's In Sports Day. WALC sponsored a Career Summit in the Gorecki Alumni Center, which featured several WALC council members forming relationships with Fighting Hawk student-athletes.

Council members Terri Cooney, Holly Corbin, Kristi Engelstad, Erin Herman, and Emma Larson shared their experience in life and business as a personal and professional development opportunity for UND student-athletes. Opening the summit with a panel discussion, council members then spoke with student-athletes on a more personal level in small groups around the Gorecki Hall's Gransberg Community Room.

The driving force behind WALC is UND alumna and former volleyball student-athlete Jill Cholewa. The Hillsboro, N.D., native has been active in many ways with the university, the department, and the volleyball program.

Cholewa, currently retired and living near San Luis Obispo, Calif., has mentored UND student-athletes for about 10 years and most recently has done so with Hawkademy, an academic program with the goal of preparing student-athletes to excel as leaders in the classroom, competition, community, and their futures. Hawkademy seeks to match its members to professional mentors and alumni.

In 2018-19, she was matched up with Davide Callegari from the Fighting Hawk men's tennis team by Director of Student-Athlete Development Tyler Burmeister, who runs and advises Hawkademy. The pairing proved to be a great match as Callegari sought the business and entrepreneurial experience Cholewa had. The icing on the cake was the connection the two had, which was sparked by Cholewa's travels through Italy -Callegari's home country - giving the pair a common ground to form a relationship.

"I was drawn to what Davide wanted to accomplish in business and what his goals are. He's able to bounce them off of me when I've been to campus. We've met a couple of times," Cholewa said. "We still keep in contact – he's a cool guy, and I want to help him with his master's degree. I want to help connect him with the right people and help him network."

Cholewa elaborated on the mentorship aspect of Hawkademy and praised its value in the athletic-academic setting.

"Tyler's done a great job with the leaders in the athletic department," Cholewa continued. "The leaders he works with are going to give 110-percent. They're willing to learn, and they're willing to consider everything they hear (to) take them to the next level because they already have that passion. Davide already has the drive – he just needs the reassurance things will work out. He has the tools and the leadership drive."

A native of Padova, Italy, Callegari has enjoyed the opportunity provided by Hawkademy, though he admits it was a daunting start.

"With Hawkademy, we were supposed to have a call with our mentor once a month," said Callegari, "I was a little shy at the beginning and a bit scared to talk on the phone because of my international accent.

"On the first call, Jill was able to set the tone," Callegari recalled. "She calmed me down immediately, and I became very comfortable. On top of our required monthly calls, I would talk to her more often about all aspects of my life. With Jill, I can talk about anything. She helped me find some scholarships and offered grad school advice."

Callegari is currently working on his master's degree and is serving on Hawkademy's Board of Directors, and has benefited from his relationship with Cholewa in many ways.

"She always asks me questions about my plans and goals, which caught me off guard as I wasn't thinking about some of the things she was asking me," Callegari said. "She was always bringing me back on track, helping me reach my goals. I really appreciate Jill and how she helped me with many of my plans."

Cholewa has mentored many North Dakota student-athletes over the years, including former volleyball All-American Faith Dooley, who currently serves as head volleyball coach at Concordia.

"All of our mentors want to help because of the mission statement of Hawkademy; that's why we're all here," said Cholewa. "For me, individually, my entrepreneurial spirit is strong. I want to give it to anyone who wants to listen to make them successful, personally, professionally, or financially. We are here to empower them with positive words. We are here to share our time, talent, and treasure."

The relationship between Callegari and Cholewa is one of many examples of the beautiful relationships formed between student-athletes of the past and present on university campuses. It most importantly represents the value of both the Hawkademy and Women's Athletic Leader Council and their synergistic mission for building leaders.