University of Tennessee Athletics
VOLeaders Set to Embark on 10-Day Trip to Brazil
June 29, 2016 | General
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Members of the VOLeaders Academy will depart for Brazil this Thursday for what will serve as an opportunity of a lifetime. The group, comprised of 13 student-athletes representing nine different sports at the University of Tennessee, will visit the major municipalities of São Paulo and Rio as part of a 10-day cultural exchange experience.
"We are so excited to provide this once-in-a-lifetime experience to our student-athletes. They have devoted a significant amount of time over the last 10 months investing in their personal leadership development journey and this international experience will provide a unique opportunity to apply all that they have learned," Senior Associate Athletics Director & Assistant Provost Dr. Joe Scogin said.
The student-athletes making the trip to Brazil include Ashlee Boles (tennis), Colleen Callahan (swimming), Andraya Carter (women's basketball), Michele Christy (soccer), Alex Cleveland (swimming), Ryan Coetzee (swimming), Meghan Gregg (softball), Raina Hembry (volleyball), Drew Kelley (track & field), Emily Morrow (soccer), Juan Carlos Serrano Guevara (men's golf), Cidae'a Woods (track & field) and Matthew Zajac (track & field).
The group will partake in a handful of cultural and educational activities while interacting with locals and immersing themselves in Brazilian culture. Some of the activities scheduled for the trip include visiting the University of São Paulo, attending a Brazilian soccer match between Corinthians and Flamengo, participating in the community Street Sports Festival in São Paulo and visiting the U.S. Consulate in Rio.
The student-athletes will also have the opportunity to learn and impart their own knowledge by partaking in numerous activities with local NGOs such as the Vida Corrida (The Running Life) and Blaze Sports, which is directly involved with the "Sport for All" Disability Sports Festival that the group will participate in during their time in Rio.
Another one of the exciting opportunities that awaits the group is the chance to visit the Olympic Park for the upcoming Rio Olympics and Paralympics set to begin in August.
The VOLeaders Academy was created in in the Fall of 2015 as a dynamic partnership between the UT Center for Leadership and Service, the Center for Sport, Peace and Society and the Department of Athletics.
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 will 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.
This marks the first international trip for the VOLeaders Academy since its creation in 2015. Its primary purpose is to provide the student-athletes with applied leadership and service opportunities focused on community development and social change through sport.
"One of our greatest goals of this program was to capitalize on the lasting impact that sport can have on communities around the world. This trip will allow our student-athletes to see how their platform in sport can be used to inspire others," Scogin said.
The group will depart for São Paulo on Thursday, June 30 before heading to Rio on Tuesday, July 5 and returning to Knoxville on Monday, July 11.
