(L-R) Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Daniel Feig, Jakie Hodge '80, Charlie Hodge, John Fray, associate athletic director - development
Taking the lead: Hodge gift leads to student-athlete focused leadership academy
12/22/2020 3:31:00 PM | Do Not Use UAF, General
Student-Athlete Leadership Academy launched thanks to Charlie and Jakie '80 Hodge
Thanks to the generosity of Charlie and Jakie '80 Hodge, long-time friends and supporters of USC Upstate, the Student-Athlete Leadership Academy was launched this fall and is already making an impact throughout the USC Upstate Athletics program.
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With the support of the Hodge sponsorship, USC Upstate is partnering with Growing Leaders LLC, a non-profit organization that collaborates with schools, colleges, athletic departments, and organizations to develop today's emerging generation of leaders. At its core, Growing Leaders, the leading curriculum and student-athlete leadership programming company in the industry, believes leadership is about solving problems and serving people, which aligns perfectly with the mission of USC Upstate Athletics.
"Student-athlete experience is crucial to our mission, and starting a student-athlete leadership academy has been a departmental goal for a long time," said Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Daniel Feig. "Unfortunately, during these difficult economic times, we were unable to fund this program until Charlie and Jakie volunteered to make this dream a reality! On behalf of our student-athletes and future servant leaders, I want to thank the Hodge's for their generous support of this crucial initiative. USC Upstate is known for providing transformative opportunities to our students, and this new leadership academy furthers those efforts." Â
The new Student-Athlete Leadership Academy will foster a growing learning environment through events and a process-driven model supported by our Growing Leaders partners. With it, USC Upstate will be able to aid coaches in engaging student-athletes in a proven method of developing tangible leadership skills for our emerging leaders. Participants in the Leadership Academy represent every intercollegiate program at the University, are generally members of the sophomore class and are nominated by their coaches or peers.
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Programs such as this give USC Upstate a competitive advantage in attracting and retaining high-achieving students to the Upstate region while helping prepare our student-athletes for a life of service and leadership upon graduation. With 80% of USC Upstate alumni living and working in the region, these efforts fulfill critical workforce needs while contributing to the social, cultural, and economic development of Upstate South Carolina and beyond.
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The Leadership Academy is the second major gift from the Hodges in 2020. In February, it was announced that they had endowed a scholarship benefiting a student-athlete majoring in education. Jakie Hodge earned a Bachelor's Degree in Secondary Education from USC Upstate (then USC Spartanburg) and she also received two Master's Degrees before beginning a teaching career that lasted over 30 years, including 7 years here at USC Upstate. Jakie also served the University's Director of School Partnerships and she was honored as the Teacher of the Year for Upstate's School of Education in 2013.
#SpartanArmy #JoinUP
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With the support of the Hodge sponsorship, USC Upstate is partnering with Growing Leaders LLC, a non-profit organization that collaborates with schools, colleges, athletic departments, and organizations to develop today's emerging generation of leaders. At its core, Growing Leaders, the leading curriculum and student-athlete leadership programming company in the industry, believes leadership is about solving problems and serving people, which aligns perfectly with the mission of USC Upstate Athletics.
"Student-athlete experience is crucial to our mission, and starting a student-athlete leadership academy has been a departmental goal for a long time," said Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Daniel Feig. "Unfortunately, during these difficult economic times, we were unable to fund this program until Charlie and Jakie volunteered to make this dream a reality! On behalf of our student-athletes and future servant leaders, I want to thank the Hodge's for their generous support of this crucial initiative. USC Upstate is known for providing transformative opportunities to our students, and this new leadership academy furthers those efforts." Â
The new Student-Athlete Leadership Academy will foster a growing learning environment through events and a process-driven model supported by our Growing Leaders partners. With it, USC Upstate will be able to aid coaches in engaging student-athletes in a proven method of developing tangible leadership skills for our emerging leaders. Participants in the Leadership Academy represent every intercollegiate program at the University, are generally members of the sophomore class and are nominated by their coaches or peers.
Â
Programs such as this give USC Upstate a competitive advantage in attracting and retaining high-achieving students to the Upstate region while helping prepare our student-athletes for a life of service and leadership upon graduation. With 80% of USC Upstate alumni living and working in the region, these efforts fulfill critical workforce needs while contributing to the social, cultural, and economic development of Upstate South Carolina and beyond.
Â
The Leadership Academy is the second major gift from the Hodges in 2020. In February, it was announced that they had endowed a scholarship benefiting a student-athlete majoring in education. Jakie Hodge earned a Bachelor's Degree in Secondary Education from USC Upstate (then USC Spartanburg) and she also received two Master's Degrees before beginning a teaching career that lasted over 30 years, including 7 years here at USC Upstate. Jakie also served the University's Director of School Partnerships and she was honored as the Teacher of the Year for Upstate's School of Education in 2013.
#SpartanArmy #JoinUP
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