HOUSTON – Washington State University's Black Student-Athlete Association (BSAA) was honored as Organization of the Year at the inaugural Black Student-Athlete Summit Awards ceremony, May 23-25 in Houston, Texas. The Summit, hosted at Rice University, included nine individuals from WSU's BSAA and focused on the theme of "The Mental Health of the Black Student-Athlete." It featured speakers, networking opportunities, and a career fair that empower Black student-athletes to maximize their college experience.
Women's golf student-athlete Cami March presented at the Summit and discussed "From Athletics to Tech," encompassing her experience with Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) and work in the tech industry. This past fall, Cami spoke at a congressional hearing about the benefits of NIL for student-athletes, while representing student-athletes nationwide. WSU Student-Athlete Development Coordinator
Janelle Nguyen and former soccer student-athlete Kelis Barton also presented on "What Now?" which encouraged student-athletes and professional staff to establish organizations on their campuses for Black student-athletes.
Highlighting the event was , WSU's BSAA Organization of the Year honor at the inaugural Black Student-Athlete Summit Awards ceremony. This award is presented to a student organization that has demonstrated support for student-athletes in addition to making an impact on its campus and the larger community. Former soccer student-athlete Kelis Barton was also honored as Athlete of the Year for modeling the BSAA Summit's mission on her college campus and for her leadership.
Brennan Jackson, BSAA Secretary/Treasurer, said that "The BSA Summit was an incredible experience," said BSAA Secretary/Treasurer Brennan Jackson. "Having the opportunity to listen & learn from some of the most influential and passionate individuals in the black community is one that I am extremely appreciative of. This summit was an eye-opening experience that has given us the tools to create/spark change back at our respective universities & communities. I have met numerous student-athletes from around the country and through conversation, we were able to learn about the similarities and differences of our experiences being a black student-athlete."
WSU attendees included:
- Travion Brown, Football
- Brennan Jackson, Football
- Chris Jackson, Football
- Cami March, Women's Golf
- Mykiaa Minniss, Soccer
- Janelle Nguyen, Student-Athlete Development Coordinator
- Derrick Phelps, Men's Basketball Assistant Coach
- Myles Rice, Men's Basketball
- Ariana Williamson, Rowing
Founded by student-athletes, the BSAA is a student-athlete driven organization established in 2019 after several student-athletes returned to campus following their attendance at the 2019 Black Student-Athlete Summit in Austin, Texas. Their vision is to provide a safe space for Black-identified student-athletes to gather, offer mutual support and participate in open discussion, with the goal of creating a closer connection to the athletic department.
