header image

[Sign Up Now] to Receive Our FREE Daily SCVTV-SCVNews Digest by E-Mail

Inside
Weather


 
Calendar
Today in
S.C.V. History
March 19
1875, 1:35PM - Outlaw Tiburcio Vasquez hanged in San Jose [story]
Tiburcio Vasquez


| Thursday, Dec 14, 2017
CSUN Under Armour Faculty Members of California State University, Northridge's Under Armour Faculty mentoring program pose with members of the tennis and men's soccer teams.

When Ed Jackiewicz met Tera Trujillo in spring 2015, she was studying at a desk she’d carried to the corner of the California State University, Northridge soccer field, in a “time out” of sorts, unable to practice because she’d just earned a D in an economics class.

Jackiewicz, the chair of California State University, Northridge’s Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, is also CSUN’s faculty athletics representative — he’s an outside observer, someone not of the athletics department who helps promote the academic success of student-athletes on campus. With coach Keith West’s support, Jackiewicz struck up a conversation with Trujillo, and decided her grades weren’t reflective of her abilities. He invited her to his office for a conversation.

Trujillo confessed that she’d picked her major — journalism with a sociology collateral — because she was a good writer and figured she would excel at it, not because it was her passion. Her passion was planet Earth, and being outside, and learning about the environment and humanity’s impact on it.

Thanks to that step outside the world of athletics, Trujillo ’17 changed her minor to geography, and is now pursuing a master’s in geography at CSUN with the goal of becoming an environmental researcher and professor.

“My entire life I was solely focused on soccer and sports,” Trujillo said. “Ed magically popped into my life and helped me find my direction.”

Trujillo’s story is a dramatic example of the great outcomes from a CSUN mentoring program called the Under Armour Faculty. The Under Armour Faculty members —who each get a special Under Armour polo in honor of the university’s sponsorship deal with the apparel company — is a group of 17 faculty members from majors and departments across campus who serve as a resource for more than 350 CSUN student-athletes.

Jackiewicz and the Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Brandon Martin, are currently recruiting new members, who can guard against the tunnel vision that can arise in college athletics due to the focus student-athletes often have on their sport. Incentives of the job include athletics gear, free access to games, and, in some cases, the chance to travel with the teams.

“It’s all about having different perspectives,” said Martin, who worked with Jackiewicz to develop the program. “We want our student-athletes to widen their scope and have a full understanding of what their options are beyond athletics. The Under Armour faculty have done an outstanding job of getting student-athletes to understand their potential and to fully maximize their identities as students.”

Under Armour Faculty members can answer questions about what majors best fit interest levels, what classes to take for a particular major, and what activities and internships will provide the best preparation for life after sports. For example, if a student was interested in majoring in psychology, that student can be connected with a psychology professor.

Once a month, the faculty members also host a themed breakfast focusing on one of the university’s colleges. Student-athletes can learn about majors and careers, and ask questions to learn how to pursue careers in related fields.

“College is the time to explore different things, to find another passion in life,” Jackiewicz said. “Our goal is to prepare student-athletes for life beyond athletics, because that’s where most of them are headed. We want them to be able to have those conversations while they’re here. ‘It’s OK to have more than one passion. Find something you like maybe not as much as sports, but close to that.’”

Beginning this year, 10 or so faculty members also serve as mentors to about 80 freshman student-athletes. Each mentor has eight or nine students, and holds monthly meetings to talk to students about life in general or to answer specific questions.

Jonathan Martinez, an assistant professor of psychology, was one of the first professors to join the program. He often talks to the student-athletes about time management and the importance of self-care. He said these talks have given him perspective on all the obligations for student-athletes as well as students in general.

“When we were trying to schedule meetings it was a challenge,” Martinez said. “I would say, ‘Send me your practice schedule, send me your weight schedule, send me your class schedule,’ and I would see, ‘Oh, wow, they only have an hour on Monday.’ So I needed to be flexible with when we could meet. As a professor, it’s good for me to gain perspective. They have a lot on their plate. They’re trying to do the best that they can.”

The original idea for the Under Armour Faculty program, according to Jackiewicz, came from CSUN President Dianne F. Harrison, who is a member of the NCAA Board of Governors and was a faculty athletics representative at Florida State. The program was originally modeled after one at Georgia Tech, but Jackiewicz and Martin continue to make changes to fit CSUN’s needs.

The Under Armour Faculty program has earned recognition from NCAA president Mark Emmert, who in April wrote a letter to Jackiewicz which said, “The efforts to build students’ academic confidence and to use athletics as a tool for engagement highlighted a deep commitment to the mission of college athletics — using sports as a pathway to opportunity for students.”

Martin said he envisions the program evolving from informal meetings into a faculty leadership academy, where student-athletes can receive instruction, mentoring and post-collegiate support.

“We want to have the best faculty engagement program in the country,” Martin said. “We’re on our way to that. The Under Armour Faculty program has, without question, aided in our pursuit of comprehensive excellence.”

For more information about participating in the Under Armour Faculty program, contact Ed Jackiewicz at ed.jackiewicz@csun.edu.

Comment On This Story
COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.

0 Comments

You can be the first one to leave a comment.

Leave a Comment


WATCH NOW
LOCAL SPORTS HEADLINES
Monday, Mar 18, 2024
College of the Canyons notched its first victory at the newly named Mike Gillespie Field on Saturday, winning its second straight conference series, this time over visiting Bakersfield College, by a 6-4 final score. 
Monday, Mar 18, 2024
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- The Master's University hit 20 3-pointers, one shy of the program record in a game, to defeat the St. Thomas Bobcats 122-91 in the second round of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Men's Basketball National Championship tournament.
Monday, Mar 18, 2024
The Master's University baseball team lost a pair of 1-run games Saturday against the Menlo Oaks in Atherton, Calif.
Monday, Mar 18, 2024
REDLANDS — College of the Canyons track and field recorded a dozen top-10 finishes and established 30 new personal records while competing at the University of Redlands Invitational on March 15. 
Friday, Mar 15, 2024
In the first of three matches on consecutive nights in Arizona, The Master's men's volleyball team defeated Benedictine-Mesa in three sets 27-25, 28-26, 25-19.

Latest Additions to SCVNews.com
1875, 1:35PM - Outlaw Tiburcio Vasquez hanged in San Jose [story]
Tiburcio Vasquez
College of the Canyons notched its first victory at the newly named Mike Gillespie Field on Saturday, winning its second straight conference series, this time over visiting Bakersfield College, by a 6-4 final score. 
Cougars Notch First Win at Mike Gillespie Field
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- The Master's University hit 20 3-pointers, one shy of the program record in a game, to defeat the St. Thomas Bobcats 122-91 in the second round of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Men's Basketball National Championship tournament.
Mustangs Advance to NAIA Sweet 16
The Master's University baseball team lost a pair of 1-run games Saturday against the Menlo Oaks in Atherton, Calif.
Mustangs Drop Three Games to Menlo
The Los Angeles County Development Authority is excited to announce that its executive director, Emilio Salas, has been appointed to a two-year term to serve as a member of the national Strategic Planning Advisory Committee for the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO).
LACDA’s Emilio Salas Appointed to National Planning Advisory Committee
The 28th Annual Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival is back with your favorite musical performers and an exciting lineup of new acts.
Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival Live Music Performers Announced
REDLANDS — College of the Canyons track and field recorded a dozen top-10 finishes and established 30 new personal records while competing at the University of Redlands Invitational on March 15. 
Cougars Earn Top-10 Finishes at Redlands Invitational
There is so much to learn from different customs and cultures and you don’t need a plane ticket to experience it all.
City’s 2024 ‘Celebrate’ Lineup Released
Big Chicken, the star-powered fast casual chicken concept, which has a location in Santa Clarita, is fueling the mania for the Big Tournament with a nationwide Big Bracket Challenge.
Compete for Chance to Open Shaquille O’Neal Chicken Restaurant
California State University, Northridge’s Spring 2024 Cinematheque series will pay tribute to Hollywood casting director and producer Deborah Aquila, executive vice president and head of casting at Paramount Television Studios and CBS Studios, to mark the end of Women’s History Month on Wednesday, March 27.
Legendary Casting Director Deborah Aquila to Speak at CSUN
On Friday, March 22, the Uniquely Abled Academy (UAA) at College of the Canyons will host a graduation ceremony for nine students who have completed the UAA’s pilot robotics training program.
March 22: COC’s Uniquely Abled Academy Robotics Graduation
The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation is excited to announce spring has sprung at its local parks, including those in the Santa Clarita Valley.
L.A. County Parks Releases Spring Jubilee Dates
The city of Santa Clarita’s Film Office released the list of six productions currently filming in the Santa Clarita Valley for the week of Monday, March 18 - Sunday, March 24.
‘Bosch Legacy,’ ‘CSI Vegas’ Among Six Productions Filming in SCV
Unlike our children who enjoy a week-long spring break, we adults no longer have that luxury.
Ken Striplin | Register Now for Spring Break Camp 2024
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health cautions residents who are planning to visit the following Los Angeles County beaches to avoid swimming, surfing and playing in ocean waters due to bacterial levels exceeding health standards when last tested.
Ocean Water Advisory Continues for L.A. County Beaches
The California Department of Motor Vehicles now offers a faster way for businesses to check that their employees have clean driving records using the new online Employee Pull Notice (EPN) Service.
DMV Launches Enhanced Digital Employer Pull Notice Service
1919 - Fire destroys abandoned second Southern Hotel, built 1878 in Newhall (corner Main & Market) [story]
Second Southern Hotel
1927 - Newhall telephone exchange, est. 1900, now serves 100 phones [story]
telephone
2003 - Lifesize sculpture honoring heroes of St. Francis Dam disaster unveiled in Santa Paula [video]
The Warning
In the first of three matches on consecutive nights in Arizona, The Master's men's volleyball team defeated Benedictine-Mesa in three sets 27-25, 28-26, 25-19.
TMU Men’s Volleyball Sweeps Benu in Arizona
Greg Herrick, the former longtime College of the Canyons women's basketball head coach who recorded 611 career wins while winning 16 conference titles, was inducted into the California Community College Women's Basketball Coaches Association (CCCWBCA) Hall of Fame during the organization's annual Banquet of Champions at Mt. San Antonio College on March 13.
Longtime COC Women’s Basketball Coach Herrick Enshrined in Hall of Fame
The Santa Clarita Planning Commission will hold its regular meeting Tuesday, March 19, at 6 p.m. in City Council Chambers City Hall, 23920 Valencia Blvd. 1st Floor, Santa Clarita, CA 91355.
March 19: Planning Commission to Discuss Wiley Canyon Mixed Use Project
Attend the city of Santa Clarita's most unique egg hunt, the Splash N’ Dash at the Santa Clarita Aquatics Center, presented by Kaiser Permanente.
March 30: Dive into Spring at Splash n’ Dash Egg Hunt
String orchestras and concert bands from around the Santa Clarita Valley and Southern California will participate in the Southern California School Band & Orchestra Association concert festival hosted by West Ranch High School on Tuesday, March 26 and Wednesday, March 27, 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
March 26-27: SoCal School Band, Orchestra Concert Festival
SCVNews.com