Empowering Champion Leaders

a note from the ad’s deskWelcome to the first edi-

tion of the Bucknell Athletics Leadership Institute Newsletter. These newsletters are intended to share insights into our ro-bust leadership program. I am very proud of the work being done to empower our Bison student-athletes and coaches with leadership training that will last a lifetime. I hope you will enjoy reading first-hand accounts from our student-athletes, coaches, and staff that exemplify the effects of strong leadership in athletics and in life.

Thanks to the generous support of Bucknell Hall-of-Famer and Trustee Emeritus Mr. Bill Dearstyne, the Bucknell Athletics Leader-ship Institute (formerly the Bucknell Bison Leadership Academy) underwent a rebranding initiative prior to the start of the 2016-17 academic year. For the first time, the program is being coordinated by a full-time director, and you will notice the new name and logos throughout the newsletter.

The Bucknell Athletics Leadership Institute works to ensure that every coach, staff member, and student-athlete is impacted by our leadership program in a purposeful and meaningful way. For more than a century, we have watched successful alumni graduate from Bucknell and go on to accomplish incredible things. Time and time again they have referenced their experience as a Bucknell student-ath-lete as a critical influence toward their success.

Bucknell Athletics is first and foremost a student-centered pro-gram in which student-athlete welfare and education is always the No.

1 priority. The Bucknell Athletics Leadership Institute was created to support this priority, and to ensure that each student-athlete leaves Bucknell with the skills and confidence to become a strong leader in sports, life, and their professional careers.

The vision of the Bucknell Athletics Leadership Institute is to de-velop champion leaders, who embody academic, athletic and personal excellence and are empowered with the fortitude and skills to posi-tively impact their teams, the Bucknell community, and the world be-yond. From this vision, we have created eight core competencies that we will work to instill in all student-athletes before they graduate from Bucknell: Authenticity, Awareness, Accountability, Empathy, Decisive-ness, Stewardship, Grit, and Inspiration. We believe that development of these competencies will create champion leaders within our varsity teams while also providing a foundation for successful leadership that will last well beyond the four years at Bucknell.

I am constantly reminded of the importance of leaders in the world. Bucknell Athletics is committed to making sure our stu-dent-athletes graduate with the tools to be the next generation of transformational leaders, and I am excited to share our experiences with you along the way.

Go Bison!

John P. Hardt Director of Athletics and RecreationBucknell University

champions! The Bucknell Athletics Leadership Institute would like to congratulate our seven conference champions in 2016-17: women’s soccer, men’s water polo, women’s cross country, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, women’s in-door track & field, and women’s outdoor track & field. Way to go!

Coach’s corner — John McBrideJohn McBride is the head coach of the Bucknell men’s and women’s water polo teams. His men’s squad captured the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament this fall.

I loved sports growing up, and I played as many as I could. I had great coaches as well as bad ones. I was a corrections officer, police offi-cer, S.W.A.T. officer, and a private security con-tractor. I have had great leaders and very poor

leaders in each organization. From these interactions, I learned what to do and what not to do as a leader.

Philosophy:BE A GREAT FOLLOWER. No one can learn to lead until they have learned

how to follow. For most, learning to follow is very difficult. One of the reasons it’s a hard skill is because in order to follow effectively you must admit that you don’t know everything. You must be, at times, vulnerable. For “natural leaders,” following is something they take great pride in being able to do well. Great fol-lowership requires great leadership skills. We have the strongest military in the world because we have the greatest followers.

see Coach’s Corner, Page 5

May 2017 The Official Newsletter of the Bucknell Athletics Leadership Institute Vol. 1, No. 1

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student-athlete leadership spotlight — cora climoQ&A with women’s soccer co-captain and Principal Leader, Cora Climo. Cora scored the dramatic game-winning goal in overtime in the Patriot League championship game and was named Tour-nament MVP.

1. Describe your leadership journey at Bucknell? My leadership journey at Bucknell has been pretty unique. Coming in as a starting freshman and then getting injured very early in the season was rough. I had to learn how to make a presence as a leader from the sideline, a position I had never experienced before. Although a difficult process, I learned how to make an impact on the team without actually playing. Focusing on my recovery while also focusing on the team’s success was challenging, but it really shaped me into the leader I am today both on and off the field. My sophomore year we also faced a unique situation, an unexpected leave of our entire coaching staff mid-spring season. Now we not only needed to make sure the en-tire team was still focused on our goals and working toward improving each day completely on our own, but also making sure team morale stayed high. I was an integral part of the Athletic Depart-ment’s interview process for hiring the new coaches, which helped me to realize the bigger picture of creating a positive out of a negative. The situation was difficult; however it brought us closer together and fostered an environment where I really had to step up as a leader. These career changing instanc-es at Bucknell truly molded me into the leader that I have become throughout my time here and have prepared me well for the challenges that I might face during my time after Bucknell. 2. What is the biggest leadership lesson you learned? The biggest leadership lesson that I have learned is the importance of staying positive and leading by example even when things aren’t going your way individually. It is hard to balance focusing on yourself as an athlete while also trying to help lead a team. It is a sacrifice but also an opportunity. I learned that my role as a leader off the field influenced team chemistry and the success of the team as much as my role on the field. My experiences at Bucknell, especially my injury and coaching change, have helped me learn how to manage my personal success as well as my team’s success. 3. How has your team shown leadership this year? Our team has faced a lot of adversity both on and off the field this year, and everyone has stepped up in terms of demanding success in every aspect of our lives as student-athletes. We had a few injuries this season, which forced certain people to step up on the field and also those who were injured to step up in their role off of the field. Having gone through that myself, I was able to assist with that transition. Being in the midst of one of our best seasons yet, people have had to step up on the field in order to win games and also step up in terms of ensuring that everyone’s mindset is in the right place while having such success. 4. Do you have a favorite leadership mentor? If so, who and why? My parents have definitely been the most influential leadership mentors in my life. Being college athletes themselves, they have a lot of wisdom about the student-athlete experience. They have taught me many important lessons and encouraged the development of certain leadership qualities throughout my life. The importance of hard work, leading by example, sportsmanship, and positivity have been four important skills that they have instilled in me that have helped me become the person that I am today. They have been two people that I have always been able to rely on in times of need and also people that I have constantly turned to for leadership advice throughout my life. I wouldn’t be the student-athlete, leader, or more importantly the person that I am today without them.

bucknell wrestlers embody character developmentIn September, the Bucknell University Wrestling team partnered with the Travis Manion Foundation for a leadership course entitled “Character Does Matter,” which served as a sec-ond opportunity for Coach Dan Wirnsberger and the wrestlers to partner with this organi-zation. The team has hosted the 9/11 Heroes Run 5k for the last two years, and the team’s relationship with the organization has become an important part of their leadership develop-ment. First Lieutenant Travis Manion was a wrestler who attended the U.S. Naval Academy and went on to serve his country in Iraq, where he was killed on his second tour in 2007 while saving his wounded teammates. The three-hour leadership course inspired the wrestlers to live with character, develop their leadership skills, and activate them to serve their communi-ties in honor of fallen heroes. The Travis Manion Foundation ethos challenges young adults to ask the question “If not me, then who...” Senior wrestler Victor Lopez said it’s definitely something that he feels will help the team as they face adversity throughout their season. For more information about the Travis Manion Foundation, visit www.travismanion.org

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bucknell leadership program rebrands in 2016-17, boosted by generous gift from bill dearstyne ‘62

Bucknell Athletics has been sponsoring a comprehensive leadership devel-opment program for its student-athletes since 2011. Now, supported by a gener-ous gift from Hall-of-Famer and Bucknell trustee emeritus William Dearstyne ’62, the sixth year of the program kicked off with a rebranding initiative under the guidance of its first full-time coordinator in Lauren Wicklund.

The former Bucknell Bison Leadership Academy is now be known as the Bucknell Athletics Leadership Institute. A new logo was commissioned, and the scope of the program has been expanded under the direction of Wicklund, who came to Bucknell from Rice University last February.

The first official Bucknell Athletics Leadership Institute activity took place last August, when nearly 120 student-athletes participated in a kick-off event fea-turing remarks from Bucknell University President John Bravman and Dr. Joe Thomas, a consultant from The Student-Leader Seminar and a regular contribu-tor to the Leadership Institute.

“Bison Athletics is first and foremost a student-centered enterprise, and as such, we owe it to our student-athletes to provide them with a well-rounded ex-perience that goes well beyond just wins and losses,” said Hardt. “A wide-ranging leadership development program is a significant part of that mission. We not only strive to foster effective leadership for our varsity programs, but we want to teach student-athletes how to transfer the many lessons learned on the playing fields into valuable lifetime skills. Bill Dearstyne has been a major advocate for leadership development, and his generous support has already substantially en-hanced our program.”

“Since Bucknell has been outstanding in athletic competition, it seemed to me that we should also be outstanding in terms of student leadership,” said Dearstyne when his seven-figure gift was announced in 2015. “This is a way to distinguish our athletics program from others. It won’t be measured in win and loss records, but in more subjective ways, over a longer period of time.”

Bucknell Athletics Leadership Institute coordinator Lauren Wicklund has been traveling with Bison coaches and staff on the 2017 Bison Club spring reception tour. Alumni involvement is a critical component of the Leadership Institute, and Wicklund is working to promote that element of the program at various alumni events around the country.

Alumni wishing to participate can contact Lauren Wicklund at 570-577-1251 or lc051@bucknell.edu. Visit our page at BucknellBison.com, or follow us on Twitter @Bucknell_LEAD.

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leadership spotlight — dr. gary sojkaDr. Gary Sojka was president of Bucknell University from 1984-95. A member of the Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame, Dr. Sojka was a major proponent of the scholar-athlete model and helped usher Bucknell into the Patriot League era.

Leadership: A rich component of the undergraduate experience.

Bucknell upholds the significance of a primarily residential institution, engaging its students in extra- and co-curricular activities that will broaden and enrich their educational experience and help prepare them for lives as productive, successful and contributing citizens. Over the years, we have learned that we can best enrich the undergraduate experience when our out-of-classroom ac-tivities work cooperatively with our academic programs. The plethora of extra and co-curricular programs that we provide may be even more useful to students simply interested in exploring some-thing new, testing their interest and talent in something outside their major, or just satisfying their curiosity about a given activity.

For the past four decades, Bucknell has been rightly proud of its student-athletes whose gradu-ation percentage regularly ranks among the highest in the nation. Likewise, the number of Patriot League Scholar-Athletes, NCAA scholar-athlete award winners and Academic All-Americans is among the highest in NCAA Division I. As a student-athlete myself during my undergraduate years, I have found the performance of our student-athletes and the programs that support them particu-larly impressive. While we are proud of these accomplishments we must remember never to settle.

We are among the very best, if not the best, in ensuring that our student-athletes graduate. That is a reasonable point of pride. But Bucknell University is not just about producing graduates. We are about building and impacting young men and women on and off the field. We are about offering more than just a degree. I believe the establishment and support of a formal program in leadership development may be a very positive way of ensuring this excellence beyond graduation. The challenges of time management, prioritizing effort, working productively with teammates, striving for goals larger than personal achievement, and dealing with both victory and defeat are priceless experiences our student-athletes receive through their work in these areas of leadership development. Are these not the sorts of experiences we would want our future leaders to have? I believe the answer to that question is a resounding, yes! The addition of the Bucknell Athletics Leadership Institute is something to embrace. The Bucknell Athletic Leadership Institute provides student-athletes with the tools to optimize the special opportunities they have been provided by participation in our athletic programs and push them to realm beyond boundaries. I am delighted that Bucknell is taking this important next step in developing our student-athletes beyond the practice and competition fields and look forward to continued connections and collaborations in the years to come.

bali members attend leadership seminars at cornell, usnaIn early October, four Bucknell student-athletes — men’s lacrosse player Quinn Collison,

Callie and Jamie DeWitt from women’s lacrosse, and Drew Newcomb from the Bison football team — attended the Leadership in Athletics Conference hosted by Cornell University’s Big Red Leadership Institute. In conjunction with the theme of “Leading Through Adversity,” the student-athletes had the opportunity to hear from two keynote speakers: former Rutgers foot-ball player Eric LeGrand (at left), and NBA Deputy Commissioner and COO Mark Tatum.

When asked to share his experience from the event, Collison said, “Some of the ideas the speakers had were more pertinent to our daily lives as college athletes, and others were great tips for the business world. However, regardless of the situation, the messages were all the same throughout, which focused on finding one’s self and being positive, consistent and hard working.”

Sophomore Callie DeWitt expressed a similar experience: “I left every panel discussion and keynote speech feeling driven, and each discussion following was extremely valuable and inspiring. Being there made me realize that having the opportunity to learn how to ‘Lead Through Adversity’ is priceless. The conference left a lasting impression, and gave me numer-ous life lessons and skills to apply to the rest of my life.”

Early in the spring semester Bucknell student-athletes Meghan Kovac (softball) and Ben Richard (football) represented the Bucknell Athletics Leadership Institute at the U.S. Naval Academy Leadership Conference in Annapolis. This was the fifth straight year that Bucknell sent delegates to the USNA seminar. The theme of the 2017 conference was “Forging Team Spirit: Sharing the Vision”. Featured speakers and panelists included USNA Superintendent Vice Admiral Walter E. “Ted” Carter; Mitch Hart, chairman and founder of Hart Group, Inc.; Jodi Greene, Deputy Under Secretary of the Navy; former FBI directory Louis Freeh; Gen. James F. Amos, USMC, former Commandant of the Marine Corps, Rear Admiral Dell Bull, USN, Chief of Naval Air Training; Bill Kraus, co-founder and owner of Mission BBQ; and SOC Daniel Luna, USN, SEAL Program Manager.

“We, as student-athletes, could take those experiences and relate them to how we work with our own teams in the field,” said Richard after one of the panels. “A major takeaway was how we use our own character to provide an example for our team members in order to en-sure a similar mindset between the individuals.”

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Coach’s corner (cont’d)Coach’s Corner, From Page 1the best father/son talks I had were with my dad while he shined his shoes EVERY night. When I asked why he didn’t just buy the military shoes that are always shined he said, “Because everyone is looking at my shoes, my belt, and the creases in my uniform. It matters.”

Here’s an example: You’re in a large meeting or lecture hall with 100 other peo-ple. Everyone is talking and catching up because nothing has started yet. At some point the leader of this large group will walk into the room. There are three types of leaders that will walk in. The first is not disciplined, an overall mess. Maybe a couple of people happen to see this leader walk in and try to quiet everyone over a minute or two with “shhh’s” and “be quiet.” The second leader is the loud “look at me” person who does the quieting down themselves and is not very respected, so they use their voice with a tinge of “fear me or else” attitude. The third, and best in my opinion, is the leader who walks in and the crowd ceases speaking at once without anyone saying anything. The temperature in the room changes to “perfect.” There is a sense of safety and security and all this person had to do was simply walk in the room. This is the ONLY leadership skill that can’t be taught. You either have it or you don’t. You know this person that I am talking about, and if I asked you why you went from loud to silent without being told you couldn’t tell me why. I can tell you that you responded the way you did because of the way this person wakes up in the morning: disciplined. It matters and everyone is watching.

DON’T BE THE GURU. Admit to yourself that you know nothing about ev-erything. Nobody likes the Guru. Leadership should be about constantly learning and paying attention to details. It requires having an open mind that is always seeking accurate intel. This intel will help you make decisions. If you have already made up your mind without listening to and understanding the intel you will fail as a leader. It’s OK if the people you’re leading know more than you. It’s OK if their ideas are better than yours. If you are open then all of this group knowledge, all these ideas, will help accomplish the team’s goals.

One time, for 20 hours a day for nine days straight, I was at a Close Quarter Battle (CQB) training. It was the hardest nine days of my life. Beaten into me

every second of every day was how to tactically shoot in close quarters by the founder of F.A.S.T. Company, Mike Taylor (ret. USMC). F.A.S.T. stands for Fleet Anti-Terrorist Swat Team. At the end of the training, I was a robot and I believed in my heart that Mike’s way was the only way. The very next week I went to a seven-day training given by Paul Castle. At one time, Paul was the head of the security detail for Queen Elizabeth. He was the toughest guy I had ever met. Paul was teaching something completely different than what Mike had taught me, and I wasn’t buying into it. I believed Paul’s methods were bad because I had listened to the Guru. I confronted Paul about his methods trying to prove him wrong and instead of being angry he said to me, “OK let’s talk about it!” For the next two hours he listened, and we went over the details of his method vs. Mike’s method. I was blown away. Paul had spent his life developing a system for close-quarter combat, and instead of telling me to shut up, he listened and we both learned. Halfway through his training I hated him, but by the end I would have died for him! He wasn’t a Guru. He was a leader.

DON’T EVER BE AFRAID OF BEING SCARED OUT OF YOUR MIND. Good leaders never run away from the fight. They don’t freeze at the point of confrontation. They go forward and attack the problem. You want to know who the leaders are in your life? Ask yourself this question: You have to go into a dark alley to get into a confrontation. Who are you bringing with you? If you just bring the physically toughest person you are going to lose. Maybe you should bring your best communicator to ease the confrontation. Maybe you should bring the toughest person. Maybe you should bring the most intelligent person. You should probably bring them all! That’s what a good leader would do. A good leader would bring all their best leaders who have learned how to follow! As a leader, making decisions can be terrifying but you must embrace that fear. You must embrace failure. You must limit your excuses and always point the finger at yourself. In other words, be humble.

I am not a Guru. I listen. I learn. I admit that I am not perfect and I am wrong more often than I am right. I aspire to be a good leader but I know that it requires hard work every day. I know that everything matters from the time I sit up straight and put my feet flat on the floor when my alarm goes off because I know EVERYONE is watching.

British Royal Military Academy Visits Campus

February brought two very special visitors to Bucknell, Major Will Meddings and Dr. Lloyd Clark, from The Centre for Army Leadership at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst of the UK.

The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in Surrey is the facility that all officers in the British Army are trained for strategic and military leader-ship. The mission of the Centre for Army Leadership is “to institutionalize leadership excellence and keep the British Army at the forefront of lead-ership thinking.”

As part of their presentation to both the student-athletes and the coach-es, Major Meddings and Dr. Clark spoke about the recently written and adopted Army Leadership Code founded on the Army’s values of courage,

discipline, respect for others, integrity, loyalty and selfless commitment. They related the role of leadership in athletics with their code of conduct, outlining how an organization or team can operate successfully by follow-ing the seven leadership behaviors.

The acronym of the Army Leadership code spells LEADERS, and con-sists of the following seven actions: Lead by example, Encourage thinking, Apply reward and discipline, Demand high performance, Encourage con-fidence in the team, Recognize individual strengths and weaknesses, and Strive for team goals. The session with Major Meddings and Dr. Clark was a wonderful opportunity for our student-athletes and coaches to enhance their leadership development and gain new insights of leadership behav-iors to promote the creation of high performing individuals and teams.

real colorsThroughout the month of September, Bison coaches, administrators,

and student-athletes participated in the Real Colors® temperament assess-ment training program, facilitated by Lauren Wicklund. Real Colors® was developed by the National Curriculum and Training Institute, Inc., and is a personality-type tool used to help individuals discover their personal strengths and those of their teammates, understand the intrinsic value that different points of view bring to a team, and learn to motivate, communi-cate and work effectively with their teammates and coaches.

The simple test identifies four personality types common to all people—Gold, Green, Blue, and Orange. The Bucknell Athletic Leadership Institute has taken the training a step further to provide a unique mentoring oppor-tunity for Bison coaches and administrators. Members of the Aspiring and Principal Leaders in BALI were organized into small groups and matched with a coach or administrator of the same color to serve as their Mentor. The Gold, Green, Blue, and Orange Mentoring Groups will meet once per semester for 30-45 minutes to discuss their color’s strengths and limita-tions as leaders and how to focus the specific values of their color into leadership behaviors in order to enhance the overall success of their teams.

The Mentors will facilitate these group discussions, and will also be available to the Aspiring and Principal Leaders as someone to check-in with and who can offer support and guidance in the student-athlete’s ca-reer at Bucknell.

Two members of the Bison rowing team who are Aspiring Leaders in the Bucknell Athletic Leadership Institute shared their thoughts on what they have gained from Real Colors® so far. Sophomore Class Representa-tive Lena Kleinberg stated, “As a member of the Bucknell women’s rowing team, I know that I represent the team at all times, and now that I am an Aspiring Leader, I feel a greater sense of representation. I am proud to be a rower, and I believe it is a great opportunity to be more connected and aware of our team through the Leadership Institute. A large team of wom-en with various personalities can be a challenge at times, but learning how to be a leader on the team will be beneficial in various ways.”

Sophomore teammate Lauren Bell said, “I have learned so much about myself and how I am/work as an individual, and how I can relate to oth-ers. Real Colors® was extremely useful. Since learning about the different personalities that people have and how they are likely to act, it has helped me consider different ways in which I can approach a situation with my teammates.”

For more information about Real Colors®, visit www.realcolors.org/what_is_realcolors/

bison student-athletes attend networking events

Bucknell student-athletes had two opportunities to attend alumni ca-reer networking events this year. In November, student-athletes and alum-ni gathered at the The Graham Company Building in Philadelphia, and in March, a similar event was held in New York City at the New York Yacht Club.

A big thank you to trustee emeritus Bill Graham ‘62, who hosted the Philadelphia event, and to Mark and Lucy Stitzer P’14 for sponsoring the New York event!

These networking sessions provide an opportunity to help prepare stu-dent-athletes for the next phase of their life. The events featured rounds of “speed interviewing” in which student-athletes had the opportunity to practice answering commonly asked interview questions with alums. The second half of the evening consisted of networking opportunities for cur-rent student-athletes to learn from successful student-athlete alums about the ins and outs of life after college, various career paths, and how sports impacted their lives long after their undergraduate years at Bucknell.

In addition, the Bison men’s lacrosse team also conducted a networking event in New York City with alumni from that sport in January.

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leadership institute mission & vision

VISIONThe Bucknell Athletics Leadership Institute will develop champion lead-

ers, who embody academic, athletic and personal excellence and are em-powered with the fortitude and skills to positively impact their teams, the Bucknell community, and the world beyond.

MISSIONOur mission is to create transformational leaders who excel in the class-

room, on the field of play, and throughout society. We will create a culture of inclusion, appreciation, respect and excellence that transcends bound-aries. In alignment with the Bucknell University and the Department of Athletics and Recreation strategic plans, we will develop bridge-builders who positively connect sports to society. Student-athletes and coaches will develop the ability to think critically, be catalysts for change, and lead with authenticity. We will mobilize teams and peers toward collective goals and have the courage to relentlessly persevere. We recognize that leadership is both inherent and learned, and we will serve to identify, challenge and support our student-athletes and coaches in their continued pursuits to be champion leaders in all facets of life.

internationally renowned Sports Psychologist Talks

Mental Toughness Past-President and Fellow in the Association of Applied Sport Psycholo-

gy (AASP) and 25-year Penn State University Athletics Sport Psychologist Dr. Dave Yukelson visited Bucknell in mid-March, meeting with all of our coaches and more than 75 of our student-athletes from various sports in two separate sessions. Dr. Yukelson brought to life the concepts of mental toughness and grit, two key components that he believes are critical to an athlete’s success. As a mental training specialist, Dr. Yukelson stressed the importance of four significant attributes: an internalized motivation and drive to succeed, a strong belief in oneself, connected and engaged performance focus, and a resilient determination to bounce back follow-ing setbacks. Dr. Yukelson helped our student-athletes to understand the definitions of grit and resilience and methods to enhance these critical skills. Dr. Yukelson’s expertise and insight were a great benefit to our stu-dent-athletes and we are excited to introduce him as our new sports psy-chology consultant beginning in Fall 2017.

2016-17 End-of-Year Celebration Luncheon

As the 2016-17 academic year comes to a close, the Bucknell Athletics Leadership Institute had many wonderful things to celebrate. Student-ath-letes, head coaches, and several administrators gathered on April 11th to highlight the year’s events, commemorate the on- and off-field accom-plishments of the student-athletes involved in the program, and send off the seniors with a celebratory luncheon.

Associate AD for Leadership Development, Lauren Wicklund, kicked off the presentation with a short exercise in gratitude; all the student-ath-letes stood up and high-fived or shook the hand of a teammate or coach near them that had a positive impact on their success this year. Lauren

went on to remind the student-athletes about how important the “little things” are in life, showing a short video clip of former U.S. Navy Admiral William H. McRaven who gave the 2014 commencement address at the University of Texas - Austin. Admiral McRaven describes the rigors of six months of basic SEAL training, and how the wisdom of the simple task of making his bed every morning made a difference throughout his life. In the speech he states, “Making your bed every morning accomplishes the first task of the day, will give you a small sense of pride, encourages you to complete other tasks, and reminds you that the little things in life do matter.”

Following the video, three student-athletes (pictured, left) each gave a short reflection on their senior-year experience. Women’s basketball stu-dent-athlete Sune Swart recognized the leadership of the recent graduates from the program and their support in creating a championship culture for the current team. Men’s basketball’s D.J. MacLeay gave advice to always be process driven instead of product driven, how a great leader has the ability to give of him or herself, and that teammates should never let their relationships with other teammates start and end at the locker room door. Cora Climo from women’s soccer reflected on the good and bad moments from which she has learned, and how the bad can often transform some-one into a better leader who is authentic, true to their values, and passion-ate about success both on and off the field.

The program concluded with a Bucknell Athletics Leadership Institute highlight reel, featuring several student-athletes speaking about how the Institute’s eight core competencies — Authenticity, Decisiveness, Account-ability, Grit, Inspiration, Awareness, Stewardship, and Empathy — helped to shape success in their programs this season.

Alumni Achievement Awards Presented to Ron Benjamin ’67, Daniela Faas ‘04

A busy day of athletics festivities and events on Feb. 25 got started with the presentation of the Bucknell Alumni Achievement Awards to Ron Benjamin ’67 (football) and Daniela Faas ’04 (swimming). These former Bison student-athletes have gone on to achieve tremendous professional success, and they were recognized and spoke before a roomful of current student-athletes representing the Bucknell Athletics Leadership Institute. They were honored again at halftime of the men’s basketball team’s victory over Navy later in the day.

The Bucknell Alumni Achievement Award is awarded annually to one male student-athlete alumnus and one female student-athlete alumna who have earned distinction in their professional careers. The award recognizes alumni for their leadership aptitude and contributions to their professions, while upholding the highest values of Bucknell Athletics. The recipients of this award represent the best of our alumni and become role models for current Bison student-athletes.

Born and raised in Northeastern Pennsylvania, Benjamin played foot-ball at Bucknell. Ron graduated in 1967 with a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering and went on to receive a master’s in business ad-ministration from Harvard University in 1969.

A very successful entrepreneur and businessman, Benjamin has been very active in community projects. He has been a member of the Buck-nell Board of Trustees since 1995 and remains a big supporter of Bison Athletics.

Faas was a record-setting swimmer for the Bison, earning five Patriot League gold medals and four First Team All-Patriot League citations in her career. She went on to earn a PhD in mechanical engineering at Iowa State. After teaching stints at MIT and Harvard, she currently serves as a senior lecturer in mechanical engineering and director of design and fabrication operations at the prestigious Olin College of Engineering.

Bucknell Athletics Leadership InstituteBucknell UniversityOne Dent DriveLewisburg, Pa. 17837

student-athlete shout-outs***SHOUT OUT to the women’s soccer seniors for leading the team to the best record in program history, and a special SHOUT OUT to Jessica Ratner for her saves and Cora Climo for her game winning goal in the final. – Anna W.***SHOUT OUT to our strength coach, Colleen, for inspiring our team to utilize and enjoy our time in the weight room. We have learned so much and she knows how to encourage each of us in an individual and group way. – Danielle G.*** SHOUT OUT to Chris Devlin for swimming in the U.S. Olympic Trials over the summer! Great swimmer and even better person. – Luke J.***SHOUT OUT to Courey for coming into a new position as an AT and making an active effort to get to know our team. Also, she is constantly there for us and without her our team would not function. Literally. – Danielle G.***SHOUT OUT to women’s cross country senior Kate Scott for represent-ing Bucknell at the 2016 NCAA Cross Country National Championship – the first NCAA qualifier for cross country in 10 years! – Kelly H.***SHOUT OUT to women’s soccer for being an inspiration to all of the athletes and proving that sacrifices and hard work really do pay off…also Alexis Gannon is a boss. – Danielle G.***SHOUT OUT to Timber Erskine for being the best doubles partner there ever was! You rock! – Mishi P. ***SHOUT OUT to the men’s water polo team for winning their league and making it to NCAAs for the first time since ‘85! – Anna W.***SHOUT OUT to my teammate Lind-say Dodovich for helping me improve my game and bringing me coffee when I’m up late doing work. – Nicole M.***SHOUT OUT to Coach Rebecca Helt for 20 years of limitless passion and dedication to the women’s tennis team! – Melissa P.***SHOUT OUT to the men’s basketball team for winning at Vandy! – Jeff G.***SHOUT OUT to the women’s cross country team for winning their 2nd Patriot League title in a row, and becoming the first team in Patriot League history to claim the top four spots in the individual standings! – Kelly H.***SHOUT OUT to Chaylen Andolino for being such an inspiring and dedicated captain - Celina A.***SHOUT OUT to Meg McGurk for overcoming a season-ending injury her junior year and coming back to win the Patriot League Championship! - Lucia S.***SHOUT OUT to to all the PL Champs we have on campus this year; proud to be a Bison! - Sune S.***SHOUT OUT to coach Amy Mantush. At the Patriot League Championships she made a huge effort to see every single one of her athletes’ jumps, throws and races. She ran back and forth from the indoor track to the outdoor track multiple times and called me right before to make sure we had a game plan worked out for my race. She does so much for this team! - Harper S.***SHOUT OUT to Julie’n Davenport for his amazing accomplishment of being the first Bucknell football player to be drafted since 1969. Good luck with the Houston Texans! - Ben R.***SHOUT OUT to Bill Graham for being inducted into the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame - Bucknell wrestling team***SHOUT OUT to women’s cross country, indoor & outdoor track teams on winning the Triple Crown! - Meghan K.***SHOUT OUT to the men’s golf team for finishing third at the Patriot League Championship, and to J.P. Raftery for setting a new Bucknell record! - Kelly H.

BucknellBison.com/Leadership@Bucknell_LEAD

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get involved!GET INVOLVED! Want to get involved or learn more about the Buck-nell Athletics Leadership Institute? We are looking for Bucknell Athletics Alumni to support our student-athletes with their time, treasury, and ex-periences. If you are interested in learning more, please contact associate athletic director for leadership development, Lauren Wicklund at lc051@bucknell.edu.

final thoughtsDON’T BE AFRAID TO BE GREAT!

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.”

~Marianne Williamson 2017 NFL Draft pick Julie’n Davenport (left) participates in a Leadership Institute experiential activity.