Broncos Attend National Black Student-Athlete Conference
7/2/2024 12:00:00 PM | General, Broncos United
In late May, Boise State student-athletes Markel Reed (football) and O'mar Stanley (men's basketball) joined more than 1,500 student-athletes from across the country for the annual Black Student-Athlete Summit held on the University of Southern California's (USC) campus in Los Angeles. The four-day event was created to empower Black student-athletes to maximize their college experience in the classroom, on the playing field and advocate for them to capitalize on all the opportunities available to them on campus.
"Hearing information from someone who looks like me, talks like me, and understands my background, makes it easier to stay engaged and retain information," said Reed. "Workshops and presentations provided educational content that was relatable and eye-opening and seeing Black people in positions of power helps me to aspire to be more than just an athlete, it allows me to envision myself in similar positions and believe that I can achieve those heights as well."
The summit featured a wide array of speakers, including former NBA all-star Baron Davis, ESPN host and WNBA all-star Chiney Ogwumike, 2020 Olympic silver medalist Teahna Daniels and Director of Scouting & Player Relations at USC Jeff Martin.
"The summit provided us with the tools for personal growth, professional development, leadership skills, and stressed advocacy among our teams, " said Stanley.Â
Other summit topics included conference realignment, mental health among Black student-athletes and how best to navigate the ever-evolving Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) space.Â
Both student-athletes believe this event should be attended annually by Black student-athletes from other Bronco sports programs and even expanded to other universities within the conference as well. Â
"It was crazy to see how everyone knew about Boise State and the blue turf," said Stanley. "Everyone wanted to talk to us which led to constant networking opportunities with players and professionals. They all understand that Boise State is an elite destination for student-athletes so I think it's important that we show our elite prowess to the student-athlete experience and continue to send our student-athletes to this summit!"
Visit Black Student-Athlete Summit.org for more information.
