Today kicks off our Annual Homecoming "Owl Way" campaign! SCSU Athletics & Recreation hopes you will join the Owls by showing your Southern pride with a gift to your favorite SCSU Athletic and Recreation program between now and Homecoming Day on Oct. 5th.
The Owls enjoyed a tremendous academic year in 2023-24 thanks to the support of our alumni and donors! Your dedication to Owl Athletics helped create opportunities for our student-athletes to excel academically, athletically, and socially.
Through funding from the Athletic Director's Fund, we continued, and improved upon, several initiatives we have established over the years. We featured over 300 student-athletes honored for academic success, 10 All-Americans, Jordan Davis' second NCAA Javelin Championship and an exciting run to the Olympic Trials and continued to have an impact in the community. After an incredible year, we celebrated everything at the annual Owl Awards, which was held in the legendary Lyman Center for the first time. We also held the first Owls' Stole Ceremony in the brand-new School of Business to celebrate our graduating seniors with their families and friends as they were given stoles to recognize them as student-athletes. This day would not take place without the support you provide to the Athletic Director's Fund!
Your donations helped with several other causes that supported our Student-Athlete's well-being and professional development as well. We continued to provide cardiac screenings to all student-athletes as a safety measure and utilized the fund to enhance the programming of our Student-Athlete Advisory Council to help further their leadership development. Looking ahead to 2024-25, we will be implementing the SCSU Athletics & Recreation Wellness Program, which is designed to present a holistic approach to the well-being of Owls student-athletes by addressing physical, mental, social and emotional health.
Lastly, your support helped us celebrate The National Girls and Women in Sports Day and National Student-Athlete Day. The National Girls and Women in Sports Day is an annual day of observance held during the first week of February to acknowledge the accomplishments of female athletes, recognize the influence of sports participation for women and girls, and honor the progress and continuing struggle for equality for women in sports. The Athletic Director's Fund helps enhance The Carolyn Vanacore Women & Girls in Sports Fund in celebrating this day on our campus. National Student-Athlete Day is a day to celebrate and recognize the achievements of student athletes. It celebrates their commitment to academics, in addition to their athletic success.
All gifts, no matter their size, will immediately provide funding for a competitive academic, athletic, and social experience.
I hope you will consider making a gift to Southern Athletics and Recreation from now until Oct. 5th. As always, thank you for your continued support. I hope we see you at Homecoming!
GO OWLS!!
Terrance Jones
Director of Athletics
