KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The University of Tennessee Athletics Department on Monday announced its VOLeaders Academy Class of 2017-18. The third annual collection of VOLeaders comprises 19 current student-athletes who represent 15 different sports.

The 2017-18 VOLeaders are: Alyssa Andreno (volleyball), Channing Bearden (rowing), Mary Brakefield (women’s swimming), Marquez Callaway (football), Katie Cousins (soccer), Brayden Garrison (men’s golf), Madison Graham (women’s swimming), Darryl Harris (men’s track), Allison Herring (women’s golf), Abby Lockman (softball), Emily Meier (women’s track), Megan Murray (women’s track), Nathan Murray (men’s swimming), Ariadna Riley (women’s tennis), Chelsea Seggern (softball), Trey Smith (football), Garrett Stallings (baseball), Timo Stodder (men’s tennis) and Grant Williams (men’s basketball).

Those individuals will begin the program for this Fall 2017 semester.

“We continue to be excited about what the future holds for our athletic department and the VOLeaders Academy,” said Dr. Joe Scogin, Senior Associate Athletic Director, Assistant Provost and Director of the Thornton Center. “As the years build on each other and now going into the third year, our student-athletes have teammates that have gone through the program and can support them and help create an amazing culture on their team and in the athletic department. I’m really excited about this class because we are finally at a place where multiple classes have been through the program, so this class can lean on them, learn from them and grow from them.

“We are excited about the continued involvement of all of our sport teams. I think that is really critical to have all our teams involved and impacted by what I would consider one of the greatest student-athlete experiences in the country. We’ve talked about creating the best student-athlete experience in America and part of that is having them understand the influence and impact sport can have on their lives, not only in the four years while they are at Tennessee but how it can shape their future as well.”

ABOUT THE VOLEADERS ACADEMY
The University of Tennessee announced the inception of its VOLeaders Academy in July of 2015. The first-of-its-kind program is a dynamic partnership between the UT Center for Leadership and Service, the Center for Sport, Peace and Society and the Athletics Department.

The program is unlike any in the country, spanning the boundaries of three different areas of campus, from academics to student life and athletics. It partners athletics with two of the most unique and respected programs on campus for the development of the student-athletes.

By using their platform in sport, student-athletes admitted into the VOLeaders Academy learn how to positively impact their team, campus and local and global communities. The program aims to inspire student-athletes to find ways to use their passion of sport and their influence to enact positive change that transcends their athletic success.

Since 1968, the Torchbearer–UT’s official symbol–has borne silent witness to the university’s Volunteer Creed: “One that beareth a torch shadoweth oneself to give light to others.” The VOLeaders Academy takes that creed in action by engaging its participants in the understanding and development of servant leadership.

The Center for Leadership and Service, a department in the UT Division of Student Life, engages all students to lead and serve in the global community and directs leadership and service opportunities for the entire University student population.

The Center for Sport, Peace, and Society, housed in UT’s College of Education, is dedicated to promoting cultural diversity and empowering underserved populations through sport. It was the first research center in the United States to focus on the developing academic field of Sport for Development and Peace. In only their second year of existence, one of their key initiatives was named on the top 10 best diplomatic accomplishments in the world.

Participants are enrolled in two three-credit-hour courses in the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences. A Leadership in Sport course provides students with an understanding of their individual leadership styles, the practice of leadership in collegiate athletics and equips them with the foundational skills necessary to lead their teams, campus and communities, while a Sport for Social Change course teaches leadership principles, professionalism, critical thinking, and cross-cultural communication skills through sport-based service.

The final component of the VOLeaders Academy is a 10-day cultural exchange providing applied leadership and service opportunities focused on community development and social change through sport. International destinations vary each year.

In 2016, the inaugural class of academy enrollees traveled to Brazil, site of the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, in partnership with the UT Center for Sport, Peace & Society. The 2017 class visited Vietnam, where they hosted several sports camps and toured historical sites.

For more information on The VOLeaders Academy, visit the website at http://thorntoncenter.net/programs-services-3/voleaders-academy.

For more information on the Center for Leadership & Service, refer to their website at http://leadershipandservice.utk.edu/index.php.

For more information on the Center for Sport, Peace, and Society, refer to their website at http://sportandpeace.utk.edu/.

-UT Athletics