GRAND FORKS, N.D. - Last week, sophomore defensive back, Sammy Fort, represented the University of North Dakota at the Black Student-Athlete Summit in Houston, Texas.

Fort saw action in all 11 games last season as a reserve defensive back and accumulated 15 tackles and 0.5 tackles-for-loss. He recovered a fumble in the 38-0 win vs. Drake and recorded the second interception of his career vs. Western Illinois in a 34-10 victory. Fort tallied a season-high three stops at both Utah State and Southern Illinois.

The Black Student-Athlete Summit is the only event of its kind that caters to the holistic development of the Black Student-Athlete. The three-day power packed experience is a networking experience for student-athletes, coaches and administrators. The goal of the Summit is to empower Black Student-Athletes to maximize their college experience by killing it in the classroom and to not leave "any meat on the bone" in terms of opportunities. Professional staff who attend the Summit are empowered to go back to their campuses and create innovative initiatives to ensure that Black Student-Athletes are competitive in the global workforce upon graduation.

Upon returning from the Black Student-Athlete Summit, Fort answered questions about his experience and what it meant to represent North Dakota at the Summit.

Q: How did you learn about the Black Student-Athlete Summit?
"I first learned of the Black Student-Athlete Summit when Tyler Burmeister approached me about it back in February."

Q: What caught your interest about the Summit?
"The opportunity to be able to connect and interact with black student-athletes and professionals from universities across the nation."

Q: Was there a seminar that stood out and what did you learn from it?
"The seminar that stood out the most was, "Just Say No: Painkillers, Opioids, and Addiction". This seminar emphasized how student-athletes across the country are abusing drugs in order to be able to perform their sport. I was also taught how to identify when someone is abusing these drugs and what actions to take."

Q: What was your biggest takeaway from the Summit?
"My biggest takeaway from the Summit was learning about how students my age made a difference on their campus rather than waiting for someone else to take action. Also just spending time with great minds."

Q: How do you plan to use your platform to invoke change?
"I was able to learn a lot of great ideas from student-athletes across the country of how they took action and how they were able to connect to all races, helping create a safe environment not only for black student-athletes, but all races."

Q: What did it mean to you to attend the Black Student-Athlete Summit?
"At first I wasn't sure what to expect, but once I was able to be at the conference I quickly realized what an amazing opportunity this was."

Q: What did it mean to you to represent the University of North Dakota?
"To be able to represent this university meant the world to me. I love this University and all the amazing opportunities I have been presented since arriving here. To represent UND on a national stage was a dream come true. Special thanks to Tyler Burmeister for presenting me with this opportunity!"
 
Q: How do you plan to maximize your college experience after attending the Summit?
"Currently, I am taking ideas that I got from other student-athletes at the event on how they are bringing all students together on their campus. My goal is to have our own black student-athlete association/group on campus here, where everyone will be welcomed! A place where we can resolve conflict, stand up for what we believe, and help make this wonderful university even better because there is always room for growth!"