DAYTON – Four University of Dayton student-athletes and one staff member attended the 2025 Black Student-Athlete Summit:

Sean Banks (senior football player from Chicago majoring in communication/media production), Shantavia Dawkins (senior women's basketball player from Brampton, Ontario, majoring in criminal justice/psychology), Jadyn Haywood (senior women's track & field student-athlete from Dayton, Ohio, majoring in business management/cyber security), Maya Murray (junior women's rower from Bexley, Ohio majoring in psychology), and Christina Bacon (director of operations for the UD women's basketball team).

The BSA Summit website states this is more than an event; it's a catalyst for success. Held from May 21-24 in Chicago, BSAS united student-athletes, athletic professionals, and industry innovators for four days of dynamic programming. Participants engaged in career development sessions, financial literacy workshops, and wellness activities designed to prepare them for life beyond sports.

Here are quick reflections of UD's student-athletes on their time at the Summit:

Dawkins: I learned so much from the different professionals who shared their experiences. One eye-opening message came from TianEn Stephenson. She shared lessons from her book "Closed Mouths Don't Get Fed" and this helped me realize that my voice has power.

Murray: I really enjoyed going to the BSAS this year in Chicago for its 10-year anniversary. I was able to network with students and professionals as well as learning valuable life skills. I really enjoyed getting to connect with others who played my sport and hearing from the speakers who had powerful experiences and advice. I would say that my biggest takeaway is that I already have what I need to be successful and now I know how to use my experience as an athlete to my advantage in my everyday life and also in my future career.

Haywood: I will forever be thankful for getting the opportunity to experience the Black-Student Athlete Summit as it has completely changed my thought process and it gave me joy! The biggest takeaway that I got from the experience is to go and get it, and you can do that by being unapologetically you. Don't worry about what others think, if you want to build your brand you are way more than capable of doing so.

Banks: I made so many connections with everyone at the Summit and I'm locked in like never before. I was reminded to lean into my gift, because what I carry is purpose. Being a winner is an attitude, a mindset, a way of life. Handle your business, protect your time and walk with intention, because every second is a chance to level up.


For a deeper dive into the BSA Summit, here are the student-athletes'  full reflections:

Shantavia Dawkins - Black Student-Athlete Summit Experience
Walking into the Black Student-Athlete Summit, I was so excited to meet new people and start networking with professionals who could help me in the future. After attending multiple sessions, I've never felt more empowered. I heard so much wisdom and gained valuable tools that will help me tremendously in the near future.

Before the Summit, I already had an idea of what I wanted to do career-wise after collegiate athletics. After leaving the Summit, that career plan couldn't have been clearer. On the first day, I attended a session called "I.D. Yourself." There were several speakers who shared insightful information, but one that stood out to me was Travis Harmon. His message, "Find your purpose," really hit home.

Finding your purpose outside of your sport is a real struggle that many athletes face. We often put our entire identity, effort, and time into our sport. During his presentation, Harmon said something that stuck with me: "Be a pioneer. Figure it out and write it out." He emphasized that each of us has unique gifts that can guide us in discovering our purpose. He reminded us that finding our purpose doesn't happen overnight, it happens through growth and self-discovery. And once we do figure it out, we must learn how to use it for good. Nurture your gifts. Don't waste time floating around, because time doesn't wait on anyone.

One message that was especially eye-opening came from TianEn Stephenson in her session "Speak Up and Speak Out." She shared lessons from her book "Closed Mouths Don't Get Fed," which focused on advocating for yourself and having the confidence to speak up, no matter the situation.

Every single room I walked into left me feeling inspired and full of wisdom. For anyone considering this trip, I highly recommend it. The Summit is beneficial in countless ways. It teaches young Black student-athletes that we are the blueprint. We don't need anyone to open doors for us because there are no doors we can't open ourselves. Black excellence isn't just talked about at the Summit, it is lived out by every professional we had the opportunity to meet. They are living proof of what's possible, and we are the next generation paving the way to succeed in the corporate world.

If I had the opportunity to share just one takeaway from the four days I spent at the Black Student-Athlete Summit, it would be the session "I.D. Yourself" and the powerful lessons I learned there. I'd also include some of the insights I gained from the mental health sessions, which were equally impactful.


Maya Murray - Black Student-Athlete Summit Experience
Something that really made an impact on me during the Summit came from one of the overall messages that many of the speakers touched on, which is how we can take what we've learned and accomplished and pour that into others. By understanding yourself and maximizing your potential. To become my best self, it's important that I take care of myself. As student-athletes we are already encouraged to do this physically, but it's extremely important to also take care of ourselves, mentally, which often gets overlooked.

The Summit helped me remember that I am an expert in my own experience and that I get to choose every day what story I want to tell. Mentorship was also an important topic of the Summit. Beyond finding others in my current field of study who I am able to connect with and who can guide me, I also was reminded of my ability to make a positive impact on others' lives. 

One of the speakers talked about the idea of how, "you can't be what you can't see" and this really resonated with me because sometimes you really do just need proof that someone who is also like you can do it. The last thing I want to say about this is to share the quote, "if you don't believe in you, I'm not gonna believe in you either." It is so vital that we are able to build confidence amongst ourselves and others so that we can reach our full potential. 

After leaving the Summit I really felt that I was better equipped to be an advocate and an athlete and that I could best use my experiences and skills as an athlete during the rest of my undergraduate career and throughout the rest of my life. I also really liked the idea of surrounding yourself with people who are aligned in your goals and who accept you for who you are. I want to bring this sense of community to campus.

We talked about underserved sports. I learned a lot in the rowing session about the history of rowing and how that has resulted in it functioning in a more exclusive manner and that's something I'd like to talk to my team about and educate others on. 

Lastly, I learned a lot of really valuable information about how we can best use our experiences as athletes to help ourselves in the future. We talked about how athletes are "uniquely qualified to suffer and work hard" and how that can be applied to joining the workforce. All athletes already have these skills, so teaching them how to tell their individual stories as athletes to best help them in their careers and how using an athlete mindset to get through your day-to-day life can be helpful, I think will benefit a lot of athletes on our campus.

I would encourage anyone I can to go on this trip and I wish that everyone could have an invaluable experience like going to the Summit. I was able to network with my peers and professionals, build financial literacy, life skills, be poured into, and in turn, leave being ready and excited to pour into others and give back to my teammates, school, and community. 
 
Jadyn Haywood - Black Student-Athlete Summit Experience
What was your favorite session and why? 
My favorite session was from Pro day, an executive leadership session. The professionals were highly successful in what they did so it was really cool to be able to be in their presence. I was really intrigued by what they were saying and they taught us techniques for being in a leadership role. I have my own business so I was really taking into consideration the pointers that they were giving. I was really just in awe by the advice that they gave. I took as many notes as possible and will definitely use them. 
 
What were aha moment(s) for you? A topic or speaker who opened your eyes to something new that you had not considered before?
One of the aha moments for me truly was The Shop: Black Male Athletes and Mental Health, at first, I was a little skeptical of the title of the session because I was like why is it just centered around black male athletes why isn't it for everyone, but I was wrong. This talk opened my eyes to all different aspects of my life, not just the athlete side. KD Hill, a motivational speaker who was a football player, unfortunately had his career end due to a crash that tragically resulted in him losing his leg. He was able to separate that athlete side of him with who he really is to keep going to keep his mind right. That really opened my eyes to what I had not considered before. I've been an athlete for my whole life and for a long time I believed that was my whole identity. Being an athlete is just something that I do, not all of who I am. The session made me realize my worth, identity, and purpose extend far beyond the sport I play. 
 
What was something that really made an impact on you? 
Hearing the different voices and everyone tell their stories really made me realize that everyone has their own story. One of the questions that we had to answer was "What's something that people may not know from looking at you?" At first, I couldn't think of anything, but as I heard others talk it made me realize that no one's story is perfect and everyone can be dealing with something. Also, it's okay to let all of your emotions out. Essentially it made me vulnerable and comfortable to share my story. It made me feel safe in knowing that I was able to open up to these people that I just met but they met me with empathy, understanding and genuine support. I am a big advocate for mental health and this year I have done so well with learning more about it, I want everyone to learn as well! 
 
What would you tell others who were considering this trip?
Honestly, if I could do this all over again I would. This was a great experience and I got to meet so many amazing people as well as make many connections. Be open to connecting with others and also don't be afraid to meet new people. This is such a great event to get out there and learn something new, you never know you might learn something new about yourself. Get out of your comfort zone a little bit!