CREDIT: KIERAN MCCAFFREY
Jacob Atkinson, one of the 15 Fanshawe athletics receiving a Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) National Scholar Award, stands ready outside the college library for a great season ahead of him, as well as a bright semester.

Fanshawe’s varsity teams have another reason to be proud of their athletes, as a number of players are recipients of the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) National Scholar Award for the 2017-2018 season.

Student-athletes from across all of Canada recently came together with the CCAA to represent the excellence, discipline and pride of academic achievement alongside their success in competitive sports.

According to a Sept. 13 Fanshawe Athletics press release, the National Scholar Award recognizes full-time varsity students who achieve Honours standing at their current academic institution. To qualify for Honours at Fanshawe, a student must receive a cumulative GPA of 3.9 or higher.

“I’m proud and so happy to be a part of an organisation that shares the same values as me, those being commitment, determination and success for our student-athletes,” Sandy Murray-MacDonell, CEO of the CCAA, said.

Our Fanshawe Falcons achieving Honours over the 2017-2018 season include:

Olivia Bellingham, Badminton

Claire Dechet, Basketball

Taylor Evans, Basketball

Haly Hawkins, Basketball

Madeline Kielar, Basketball

Jordan Kadlecik, Cross-Country Running (All Star)

Regan Ryter, Cross-Country Running

Isabelle Allan, Curling

Logan James, Curling (All Star)

Kaitlyn Poirier, Curling

Jacob Atkinson, Soccer

Alison Vlasman, Soccer (All Star)

Katie Rowe, Soccer

Gillian Travis-Iantosca, Soccer

Tarea Heshka, Volleyball

According to the CCAA’s website, the CCAA’s primary focus is to broaden and improve the academic experiences of student-athletes. The association provides a variety of programs and services to assist with development through competitive opportunities in intercollegiate sport.

The CCAA is an essential part of providing educational institutions with a dynamic and efficient learning environment, creating opportunities for student-athletes to further hone their physical and mental abilities, as well as real-life skills such as teamwork, perseverance and respect. Student-athletes bring positivity not only to their teams, but to their entire schools, naturally and actively contributing to community spirit and growth. Therefore, athletics should be considered an essential component of learning, growth and development.

The Interrobang spoke with Fanshawe Falcons soccer player, Jacob Atkinson, who had positives to share about being named one of this year’s CCAA recipients, as well as playing the game he enjoys.

“For me, (soccer) started when I was young. My parents were incredibly supportive. Soccer taught me a lot of real-life skills, and helped me get to know people. Although the academic elements of being an athlete are challenging, it drives myself and others do to really well in school and allows us to do what we love. You’ve seen it with these kids who are dropped from teams because of their grades. They want to play, so they will learn and they will come back,” Atkinson said.

As well as the CCAA, the Fanshawe Athletics department focuses on both athletic and academic excellence, supplying the crucial resources, programs and tutoring services necessary for our student- athletes to succeed in their ambitions.

“We invest a lot of time and effort into creating opportunities for all of our student-athletes who want to succeed. I highly encourage people to seek out the assistance we provide through programs and services,” Nathan McFadden, manager of Fanshawe Athletics, said.

All the information about the programs and services offered through the Athletics Department can be found on the Fanshawe Falcons website.