The Savannah State athletics academic support team joined the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA), Clemson University, Georgia State University and Grambling University to provide a student-athlete summit for the Boys & Girls Club at Georgia State's football facility in Atlanta, Ga.

The summit was a result of the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics (N4A) Life Skills and Ethnic Concerns Committees collaborating to provide the Boys & Girls Club of Atlanta with an information session on how to become an intercollegiate student-athlete. Topics discussed included: initial eligibility standards, college admissions and making the grade in high school. N4A also held a school supply drive to provide supplies to the 100 Boys & Girls Club members in attendance. Over four boxes of supplies were donated from the N4A membership institutions.

The summit included a panel of academic support specialists, and was hosted by Yashica Martin from Clemson University and Lorraine Cone from Virginia State. The panel featured SSU's associate athletics director for administration and student-athlete welfare, Danita Townsend, the NCAA's assistant director of academic and membership affairs, Andy Cardamone, Grambling's coordinator of academic enhancement, Genese Lavalais, and Clemson's special projects coordinator Audrey Dempsey.

"It was wonderful to see the interest these high school students had not only for college sports but, more importantly for academics," said Townsend. "I was honored to be asked to collaborate with Clemson and Virginia State on this project and we are considering providing a similar program in the Savannah area for local high schools. If any local high schools in Savannah are interested in hosted an event, they can contact me directly for scheduling."

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