NSU’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee makes impact off the field

By Isabella Fernandez De Cueto and Olivia Zolk •

NSU’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee serves as a bridge between student athletes and school administration, giving members the opportunity to advocate for themselves, get involved in the local community, and learn leadership skills.

Two of the pivotal leaders of the program are Deanna Rivero, manager of Athletic Academic Services and co-adviser of SAAC, and Nyah Pacely, president of SAAC.

Pacely, a senior biology major and NSU volleyball player, has seen drastic changes to the group since her first meeting during her freshman year.

“When I first started in SAAC, nobody was really talking about it or interested in it. This year, we have barely enough space in our meeting room to fit everyone coming to our monthly meetings,” Pacely said.

SAAC holds meetings at the beginning of every month for all student athletes, and the E-Board meets biweekly.

“We make our meetings monthly so that they are engaging and contain new and important information. All athletes can come and listen and even voice ideas they may have,” Rivero said.

SAAC also hosts a variety of community service events, both on and off campus. Some notable events include a canned food drive with Shark Pantry, a school supply drive with Davie Elementary School, and a toy drive with the Rick and Rita Case Boys and Girls Club.

“These events are important because they encourage our student athletes to build relationships with each other, the on-campus community, and the local off-campus community as well,” Rivero said.

Pacely’s main initiative as president is to encourage athletes to use their voices.

“Throughout my time, I’ve been able to make some of my ideas into reality by finding and using my voice. I want the athletes to speak up, and we’ve seen some of it already through working with charities athletes wanted to be involved with,” Pacely said.

For example, SAAC hosted a National Girls and Women in Sports Day event in January, which was long overdue.

“This event was three years in the making, and it was so cool to finally see an event we’ve been trying to develop for so long flourish into a great experience where young girls got to try out different sports,” Pacely said.

Another important aspect of SAAC is the professional development opportunities it holds through regional and national SAAC conventions and Leadership Forums.

At these events, student-athletes get to network, brainstorm, and meet other representatives from other schools. It’s great for them to get this professional experience and it is great for their resumés as well,” Rivero said.

For those who want to get involved with SAAC, Rivero and Pacely have the same advice: “Come to a meeting and see what it’s about. The more the merrier!”