Springfield, Ohio — The pairing of championship athletics and a commitment to an over-arching mission of service to the community is a winning combination for student-athletes, coaches and administrators at Wittenberg University. 

Director of Athletics and Recreation Gary Williams, who took the reins of Wittenberg’s Department of Athletics in June 2015, is committed to carrying on the university’s tradition of community service. Charitable work has been a cornerstone throughout his life, and he has found Wittenberg’s leadership in the area of community service to be a perfect match. 

Wittenberg University student-athletes regularly make contributions to the local community through activities with their teams, including projects working with Special Olympics, Habitat for Humanity and Big Brothers Big Sisters, to name a few. Among the most active coaches in the area of community service is Women’s Basketball Head Coach Sarah Jurewicz, class of 1998, who takes great pride in leading by example. 

Jurewicz, who was recently appointed the Department of Athletics’ Senior Woman Administrator, has made three trips to the impoverished African nation of Lesotho with Wittenberg students. She also incorporates service activities into her team’s schedule throughout each season as she carries out the lessons she learned as an undergraduate at Wittenberg. 

“I like to use athletics as a means to reach out to people because a lot of people associate with sport in a wide variety of ways,” Jurewicz said. “I think the Wittenberg Athletic Department uses the motto of ‘Having Light, We Pass It On To Others’ by using the visual nature of athletics to serve in the community. 

“I really try to encourage our student-athletes that are part of the basketball program to help where help is needed and to give where their passions lie because I feel like their lives become much more full than (when they are) scoring a winning basket or winning a game.” 

Women’s track and field standout Jeanette Klamfoth, class of 2015, joined Jurewicz on the most recent Lesotho service trip. She feels that her experiences on the track, in the classroom and in the global community serving others have been extremely fulfilling. 

“Wittenberg does a great job of connecting being a student and being an athlete and just giving back to the communities around the world,” Klamfoth said. “I think Wittenberg does a fantastic job of encouraging all of its students to do their best in the classroom and on the field or on the track and in everything that they do and every aspect that they give back to.”

Written By: Ryan Maurer
Video Produced By: Hannah Yalaz '15 and Kayla Villegas '16