GRAND FORKS, N.D.  – University of North Dakota student-athlete leadership groups helped pave the way for student-athlete development programming during the 2021-22 academic year. UND student-athlete development programming is designed for the holistic development of student-athletes focusing on leadership, career and personal development, and service.

UND student-athletes shined in the community throughout the 2021-22, with the Fighting Hawks leading all Division I schools nationally in community service with 5,146 total hours and an estimated economic impact of $146,833. North Dakota student-athletes set the tone early, winning the Division I Team Works Service Challenge with a 99 percent participation rate.

Individually, 13 Fighting Hawks from eight different programs contributed over 100-hours of community service in 2021-22: McKenzie Burian (women's cross country/track & field), Carrie Carpenter (women's golf), Cassie Giddings (soccer), Kenzie Gullickson (women's track & field), Jannay Jones (softball), Colin Lavell (football), Melissa Leet (women's basketball), Abi McGlynn (volleyball), Jaden Norby (football), Kianna Novacek (women's golf), Claire Orth (women's basketball), Meghan Wilson (soccer) and Adam Zavalney (football).

Both student-athlete led leadership groups, known as the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and Student-Athletes for Inclusion & Diversity (SAID), took an active role in providing programming and developmental initiatives for the student-athlete population throughout the 2021-22 academic year.

One of the major initiatives included a focus on mental health first aid certification, with 35 total student-athletes completing the certification process. The November certification course for student-athletes is believed to be the largest class in the state of North Dakota and one of the largest classes to complete the certification in the United States.

The two leadership groups also collaborated with UND Special Olympics College to host the Spread the Word Inclusion Event, which is a global campaign working towards inclusion for all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, a project started by the Special Olympics.

Student-athletes also continued to showcase their leadership on campus through various programming drives. Throughout the 2021-22 academic year, 66 Fighting Hawks participated in the student-athlete leadership academy (Hawkademy). The goal of Hawkademy is to help build leadership and effective communication skills in student-athletes through a three-year cohort style program.

All UND athletic programs also participated in One Love training with the CVIC@UND. The training helps to empower young people with the tools and resources they need to see the signs of healthy and unhealthy relationships and bring life-saving prevention education to their communities.

Five student-athletes, representing five programs, received the Lillian Elsinga Outstanding Student Leader Award. The Fighting Hawks earning the award were Jocelyn Kirk (softball), Elizabeth Norris (volleyball), Claire Orth (women's basketball), Ellyssa Peterson (women's cross country/track & field) and Claire Wagner (volleyball).

Also in the career-development side of student-athlete development, UND partnered with Grafted to introduce NoDak Net. The aim of NoDak Net is to create professional development and networking opportunities for student-athletes.

UND women's basketball student-athlete Jolene Daninger was selected to attend the NCAA Career in Sports Forum. The NCAA Career in Sports Forum is an annual educational program that brings together 200 selected NCAA student-athletes to learn about and explore potential careers in sports. The unique three-day forum helps student-athletes chart their career paths while they network and learn from current athletic professionals.

North Dakota football student-athlete Sammy Fort represented UND at the Black Student-Athlete Summit in Houston, Texas. 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 opportunity for student-athletes, coaches and administrators. 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.

Both SAAC and SAID groups facilitated several events in 2021-22 and some of the most popular activities for each group is listed below.

SAAC
- Held the annual Welcome Back SAAC BBQ kickoff event
- First Halloween Bash Post-Pandemic
- Hosted the annual Summit League Food Drive to benefit the Salvation Army of Grand Forks
- Mentored local youth through the Pen Pal Program

SAID
- Highlighted National Hispanic Heritage Month Through a Social Media Campaign
- Participated in the NCAA Diversity & Inclusion Campaign
- Hosted a Native American Heritage Month Workshop
- Provided a Thanksgiving meal for all student-athletes
- Collaborated to create a LGBTQIA ally training workshop
- Created a Black History Month video series and co-hosted a Soul Food Dinner