Springfield, Ohio — For Kiley McCollough, Wittenberg University class of 2014 from Noblesville, Ind., three days at an NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum in November provided "a huge opportunity for personal growth."

Along with Alex Previte, class of 2013 from Dublin, Ohio, Men's and Women's Tennis Head Coach Justin Stuckey and Assistant Director of Athletics for the Tiger GAME Plan Ali Teopas, McCollough spent Nov. 3-6 in Chicago, Ill., attending the forum with more than 300 other student-athletes and administrators, representing all divisions of the NCAA. They participated in a variety of breakout sessions on individual behaviors and values, discussions with the national Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and NCAA representatives, and life-skills presentations.

McCollough, a 5-6 guard for the Tiger women's basketball team, said she feels like she has a "better sense of self from this conference."

"I feel like I am better equipped for taking on a leadership role as a student-athlete," said McCollough, who has been limited to just four games in her two seasons due to an injury. "Learning how to communicate and work with different types of people and how to effectively solve problems will prove to be beneficial as I finish my education and athletic career at Wittenberg and also as I make my way into the workforce."

Previte said he gained a great deal from the forum sessions that discussed personality types and how leaders manage them.

"The forum focused a large portion of time talking to us about how to read someone's personality type," said Previte, who has been a key midfielder on the two most successful men's lacrosse teams in school history in 2010 and 2011. "They taught us that the best leaders are the ones who can find a way to motivate everyone.

"However, everybody is motivated differently and properly identifying a personality type can help you to know what buttons to push and how to push them in order to keep everyone motivated. This has made me realize that it is very important to think before I act because my own actions can be misinterpreted by my teammates."

Teopas was a facilitator for the NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum for a second consecutive year. She led discussions with student-athletes and professionals from a variety of schools in Wittenberg's region, including coaches and student-athletes from four other North Coast Athletic Conference schools.

"It is an amazing experience, and I love getting to know all of the student-athletes," Teopas said. "The forum takes a lot of preparation, but after the three jam-packed days, I always leave energized and inspired by all the student-athletes and athletic professionals I was able to work with."

McCollough cited a service project in which forum participants worked with inner-city children to make blankets and holiday cards for the Salvation Army and a speech by Kevin Carroll, author of Rules of the Red Rubber Ball, as the two most memorable experiences for her. The blankets were distributed almost immediately to those in need, illustrating the difference people can make with just a few hours of work. McCollough linked that lesson to Carroll's message to follow your passion and choose a professional path that not only provides financial opportunity but personal satisfaction.

"As a college student, it is difficult to know what to do with the rest of your life," said McCollough, who is majoring in biochemistry. "Many of us choose a path that will support us financially in the future. However, Mr. Carroll's message was to do what you love and the money will follow. I plan to use his message as I continue to try to plan out my life."

Written By: Ryan Maurer

002-12