both, be a student and an athlete. “It’s such a team approach: athletic department, coaches and my staff. It’s a good system. Credit goes to (athletic director) Tom Bowen and his staff for supporting our efforts with student-athletes and for establishing a culture of excellence. I also am grateful to have the support of Dr. Richard Irwin and the Office of the Provost, which do not hesitate to provide me with what I need.” “As advisers, we wear many hats: coach, cheerleader, teacher, counselor and sometimes even parent,” says CAAS counselor Danielle Pulliam. A former basketball player, she earned a bachelor’s in Family and Child Studies and a master’s in Sport Management, both from Northern Illinois University. At the UofM she is working on a master’s in Leadership and Policy Studies.
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CAAS is essential. Academic advisers and mentors dedicate all their time, energy and efforts to provide student-athletes with resources to be as successful in the classroom as we are on the field. Their trust empowers us to achieve our academic goals and to grow as individuals. Succeeding in the classroom is my way of thanking them.” –Catherine Levasseur, women’s soccer 20
SP R I NG 2017
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CAAS has helped me mature … The UNIV 3740 course I took with the PAWS coordinator as a junior really helped me look into careers other than professional football. I feel prepared for life after I graduate from college.”
–Tye Northern, football
“These ‘hats’ extend far beyond the gym, field, court and classroom,” Pulliam says. “Nelson Mandela once said, ‘Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite.’ What makes my job most gratifying is being able to see how two things that I am passionate about—education and sports combined—can be an agent for change: change not only in the lives of student-athletes, but also in the world itself.” The main objectives of CAAS, Baker says, are to ensure that student-athletes complete their degrees and are prepared for life after sport. “The life after sport, I am particularly passionate about.” He and his staff along with help from the Athletic Department have developed the PAWS (Preparing Athletes for Winning Success) program to assist career development for the 97 percent of student-athletes who will not play professional sports. PAWS assists with leadership development, community service and career planning.
THE UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS