BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — WKU Athletics announced Thursday the establishment of its new student-athlete development program, The Hilltopper CLIMB: A Champion's Personal Pursuit to the Top.
"We are very excited to launch The Hilltopper CLIMB for all of our student-athletes," said Director of Athletics Todd Stewart. "This initiative will provide our student-athletes access to new resources and opportunities and further their connections to existing resources on our campus and in the athletic department. Regardless of the career our student-athletes choose to pursue after graduation, this program will help them achieve their goals. Creating the Director for Student-Athlete Career Development position was integral to the start up of our student-athlete development program. This position, in conjunction with our Senior Woman Administrator (SWA), will continue to impact our student-athletes in a multitude of areas."
The Hilltopper CLIMB was designed with five core pillars in mind: Creating Community, Leading Effectively, Investing in Futures, Mastering Professionalism and Building a Life Beyond The Hill. The program consists of checkpoints and workshops specifically designed for freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors. It serves all student-athletes, regardless of career aspirations and current sport.
The mission of The Hilltopper CLIMB is to provide holistic developmental opportunities for WKU student-athletes and assist in launching them into life post-athletics.
By nature, student-athletes, at any level, have skillsets that differentiate them from the regular student body. It is WKU's vision to help Hilltopper student-athletes identify, strengthen, and capitalize on these inherent skillsets. Providing targeted resources and strategic experiences will empower WKU Athletics through career development, community engagement, leadership development and personal development/life skills with the assistance of WKU's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Through The Hilltopper CLIMB, WKU Athletics will produce student-athletes as learners, leaders, citizens and givers. The program has plans for the future to partner with resources already on WKU's campus including the Academic & Career Development Center (ACDC), TOPCARE and more.
In May, WKU hired McKenzie Watson as the Director for Student-Athlete Career Development. The position was designed to create a multi-year development program for all WKU student-athletes that focused on personal skills, inclusion, career and professional development, community service and leadership.
In addition to the hiring of Watson, Senior Associate Athletic Director (SWA and Student-Athlete Development) Gina Stoll officially added oversight of student-athlete development to her title in June.
For more information about WKU Athletics' new student-athlete development program, visit wkusports.com/sports/student-athlete-development.
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