Through the Engaged Athlete Fellowship, co-founded by Elizabeth Ford and Joe Kennedy, student-athletes are taking the discipline, teamwork and resilience honed in sports and applying them to civic engagement, mentorship and community-driven initiatives.
From launching service projects to addressing social issues, fellows at Howard University are redefining what it means to be a student-athlete at a historically Black college or university.
Fellows receive mentorship, resources and a platform to launch projects that address truancy. For Ford, the fellowship is about showing athletes their influence extends far beyond competition.
“It is about helping student-athletes see themselves as civic leaders,” Ford said. “We are giving them tools to translate the discipline and visibility they already have into meaningful change in their communities.”
For Rachel Suttle, a Howard women’s soccer player, representing the university means more than just wearing a jersey.
“Representing Howard means carrying that legacy that has already been established, but also the excellence HBCUs stand for on the field, in the classroom and in the community,” said Suttle, a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in finance. “Being at Howard, especially in D.C., you feel a responsibility to use your platform to uplift those around you and show that we are not one-dimensional.”
Suttle believes the fellowship reinforces the idea that athletes hold a unique position of visibility, she said. The challenge, she added, is learning how to use that influence with intention.
Howard men’s basketball players are putting this philosophy into practice. Last year, Cameron Shockley-Okeke and Mounir Hima collaborated to collect shoes and athletic gear from their team and the athletic department.
With guidance from Howard staff, they shipped these supplies to young basketball players in Africa, giving them the opportunity to play the sport they love.
“They saw the impact the first time and are hoping to do it again this year,” Ford said. “It is inspiring to see the projects continue when athletes are so passionate about helping others.”
For Ed Holland III, a University of Pennsylvania graduate, Howard men’s basketball player and graduate student pursuing a master’s in finance, the fellowship is an opportunity to turn his gratitude for past mentors into service for the next generation.
Alongside teammates, Holland is leading a project at a local middle school aimed at reducing truancy. Each month, the team will host interactive workshops on topics such as sports business, social media and personal development.
“We want to give middle school students something to look forward to,” said Holland. “It is a space where they can ask questions, engage with us and know they have people in their corner holding them accountable.”
To encourage consistent attendance, the group also plans to create incentive systems. Prizes range from Howard gear to the chance to sit courtside with the team during games.
Balancing athletics, academics and leadership is not an easy task for the team, but Holland said the fellowship has changed the way he sees responsibility.
“Honestly, it does not feel like a challenge because this is something I enjoy,” Holland said. “I know how important it was for me to have mentors growing up. Now I feel grateful that I get to be that person for someone else.”
Suttle echoed the idea, noting that the skills honed on the field, such as teamwork, time management and resilience, have transferred into fellowship projects.
“On the field you are working toward a common goal with your teammates,” Suttle said. “Here, you are learning to apply that same mindset to leading projects and collaborating across groups of people for a different common goal.”
For Holland, his fellowship work is inseparable from Howard’s legacy.
“Our motto is truth and service,” Holland said. “For me, being a Howard athlete means giving back to the community and being someone the younger generation can look to.”
Ford believes the fellowship is positioning Howard athletes to redefine what it means to compete at an HBCU. Beyond chasing championships, she said, the fellows are setting examples of civic leadership that will ripple through campus and the broader community.
Suttle agrees. “This program shows that our impact as athletes does not stop when the game ends,” she said. “We can lead in multiple spaces, and that is the legacy I want to leave at Howard.”
Copy edited by Daryl R. Thomas Jr.
