By Erin Casey
When Lily Vartanian ’20 first arrived at Assumption, she knew it was where she was meant to spend the next four years of her life. And with the help of a student leader, she was able to adjust to college life.
At a first-year student social during Move-In Weekend, an upperclassman made more of an impression on Vartanian, a philosophy major and Women’s Rowing team member, than the older student could have known.
“I think she could tell how nervous I was because she came up to me and she talked to me about the Student Government Association,” Vartanian said. “She convinced me to run for a class officer position. Her being so friendly and welcoming to me really made a difference.” Now the vice president for the Class of 2020, Vartanian strives to have the same kind of impact on others. “I hope as a student leader I am able to be someone who helps others when they are facing challenges, the same way that upperclassman was there for me,” she said.
Vartanian is one of many Assumption student-athletes who choose to enhance their college experiences beyond high academic standards and athletic pursuits. “I think student-athletes are leaders by nature and want to be involved as much as they can,” said Jamie Marcoux, director of athletics at Assumption. “Being part of a team and working with others is the core of athletics. We want our student-athletes to receive a balanced education, which includes experiences beyond the classroom and athletic commitments. Our student-athletes are involved in community service, intramurals, InterVarsity, and other activities on campus. They’re recruited by our coaches, but they also choose Assumption because of the faith-based liberal arts program, which focuses on developing the whole person.”
Sarah Reilly ’19, a marketing major and co-captain of the Women’s Lacrosse team, chose Assumption because she longed to develop friendships in the close-knit and supportive community she found here. Reilly is the president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), assisting with fundraisers and food drives and contributing to policies and regulations that affect the student-athlete population– she is also a volunteer tour guide for football team recruits. Additionally, she co-founded the I AM Mentoring Program, which pairs incoming student-athletes with older student-athletes from other teams to help them adjust to the transition from high school to college while also building camaraderie amongst all teams. The mentors help new students develop time management skills, facilitate introductions to other student-athletes, and suggest course schedules that work well with athletic team schedules. The program is in its beginning stages and will likely be fully implemented this fall, according to Reilly.
“I choose to be so involved on campus because I really like to be a part of a variety of things,” she said. “It gives me the opportunity to get to know a lot of people and to build relationships that mean something.”
Daniel DeLuca ’20 sought to build on his relationship with God. A biology major and member of the Men’s Track & Field team, DeLuca has since become a student leader for Athletes InterVarsity, a group for athletes who want to learn more about the Bible. He also leads his own small Bible study group with an emphasis on free and independent thinking to share his beliefs with his peers and friends and learn from their perspectives. Being a student leader in Campus Ministry has taught him about service, leadership, showing kindness to others, and following God’s guidance for his life, he said.
“I find it crucially important that people take time to think about the core of their beliefs and worldview,” DeLuca said. “For me, my faith impacts every aspect of my life, and the ability to help other people find their own beliefs and the importance of those beliefs is something I cherish. I choose to be involved because I can’t imagine sitting back while there is so much that could be done. There are so many conversations to have with people about worldviews, religion, current events, and life as a whole, for me to not be as involved as I can be.”
