GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Fifth year defensive end Jaelen Johnson represented the University of North Dakota at the Black Student-Athlete Summit in Los Angeles in May. Johnson joined more than 1,400 student-athletes, influencers, creators, administrators and professionals from over 170 colleges and universities that attended the event.

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 action-packed days that make up the Summit are 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 not leaving "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.

Johnson started all 12 games on the defensive line in 2022 and accumulated 18 total tackles, with 10 of them being solo stops. He also compiled three tackles-for-loss, three quarterback hurries and a pair of sacks. His best performance of the season came in the first round of the FCS Playoffs at No. 9 Weber State, where he put down a season-best five solo tackles.

After returning from the Black Student-Athlete Summit, Johnson answered questions about his experience and what it meant to represent the Fighting Hawks at the Summit.

Q: How did you learn about the Black Student-Athlete Summit?
"I learned about the Black Student-Athlete Summit originally from my advisor, Kelsey Wattenhofer, as well as from past attendee Sammy Fort. He attended the Summit down in Houston last year and told me it was a great experience."

Q: What caught your interest about the Summit?
"I was very interested in finding new ways we can create more diversity within the University of North Dakota, as well as the self-empowerment aspects of the Summit."

Q: Was there a seminar that stood out and what did you learn from it?
"Matt Barnes (former NBA star) and Soul Cole (former NFL player) had seminars that really stood out to me that I could relate to. Cole was a wide receiver who had many injuries in the NFL before he had a chance to reach his full potential. As an athlete, I have also had many serious injuries so I can very much relate to him. He went on to discuss how playing sports for a living truly is just a business and once you can no longer perform for your boss, they let you go. That's exactly what happened to him, and he didn't know what to do. His entire life revolved around football and then it was suddenly over. He went on to discuss how he takes care of his mental health using meditation among other techniques.

UND has had some seminars that talk about life after sports that I would highly recommend for all student-athletes! Playing a sport will come to an end for everyone at some point, it's inevitable. It's never too early to think about a backup plan or plans after sports."

Q: What was your biggest takeaway from the Summit?
"My biggest takeaway from the Summit is no doubt the self-empowerment it brought to me. I didn't expect there to be so much self-help as there was. After reflecting upon the lessons, I learned that it is essential to be a confident leader and reveal the passions I have about whatever topic is at hand. These passions may be shared by a variety of people that feel just as strongly as me but may not have the platform or confidence to speak up about it. This also further validated the idea that I must care for myself mentally before I take on a role of leadership for others. After leaving the Summit, I truly believe I can be a difference maker and leader in any space I occupy."

Q: How do you plan to use your platform to invoke change?
"I plan on using my platform to simply create more discussion within the community about diversity at the university and within Grand Forks."

Q: What did it mean to you to represent the University of North Dakota?
"With the University of North Dakota being my home away from home for the past five years and considering the relationships I've built and opportunities I've been given, it was truly a great honor to represent UND."

North Dakota will open the 2023 season on Saturday, Sept. 2, hosting Drake at 3 p.m. inside the Alerus Center.