Campus culture

Eight people came to Shantavia Dawkins’ practice. It wasn’t the senior guard’s basketball practice. It was her practice for a 45-minute presentation she was to make to a class (taught by Isabella Slim ’25, academic coordinator, and Beth Flach ’10, director of athletic academic support) helping students new to UD make the transition.

Dawkins was well-prepared. As part of her summer internship, she had networked with professionals at a student-athlete conference. She had picked the brains of people on campus. For the practice, Krystal Warren ’15, associate athletics director, asked colleagues to act like an audience of freshmen
student-athletes. Those who attended included coaches and people from the athletics business office, communication, marketing and facilities.

“I can’t believe people would take their valuable time to see my presentation,” Dawkins said.

“I can,” Warren replied. “This is Dayton. People care about you.”

That’s not new. Kuris Duggan ’13 in his junior year played on the UD baseball team; they won the A-10 championship. Then a shoulder injury ended his career.

“I was depressed,” he said. “But Dayton wrapped its arms about me. We don’t want to lose that.”

A current gesture of Flyer caring is a program developed by the UD Student-Athlete
Advisory Committee. A person who has spent most of his or her life dedicated to playing a sport can be affected psychologically by a significant injury. Trainers identify student-athletes who would benefit; they don’t track to whom they give packages. Packages contain a journal, colored pencils, a coloring book, socks, a T-shirt, a keychain with an encouraging message and a list of mental health resources. 

“The opportunity for a student-athlete is special. And it’s a notch up here,” said men’s
tennis head coach Ryan Meyer, who was named A-10 Coach of the Year this past season for the second time. He points to the community-building that UD fosters. “Players build relationships with teammates, coaches, trainers, administrators and alumni,” he said.

Building relationships isn't the only thing that student athletes can transfer to life after UD. One that stands out is time management. As men’s golf coach Gip Hoagland ’93 said, “Their lives are structured from first light until dark.” In a workshop, they learn of post-grad job requirements for certain skills, and they inventory ones they develop as student-athletes: communication, teamwork, leadership, ethics and conduct, problem-solving, self-motivation, organization, physical health, coping, execution and creativity.

Jayla Pruitt ’25, Flyer triple jump record holder, electrical engineering grad and a winner of UD’s Nancy Bramlage Award for social justice, rejoiced on LinkedIn at being named to the A-10 honor roll: “[I] was working hard to finish my senior year strong.… Balancing academics and athletics has taught me discipline, perseverance and time management; and I’m grateful to be recognized for that hard work.”

Picking up a master’s degree this past year, Alayna Yates ’23 was a first team all-conference player on the Flyer volleyball team, one of two UD squads (the other, men’s soccer) to make it to the NCAA Sweet 16 last fall. She’s moved on to the University of Colorado to work in athletic academic support.

Summing up her UD experience, she said,

“I am the product of my professors, advisors, coaches, trainers, athletic administration, family and, most importantly, my teammates. UD is about community.”

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A version of this article appears in print in the Autumn 2025 University of Dayton Magazine, Page 26. EXPLORE THE ISSUE — MORE ONLINE