For GW student-athletes, success is often measured in wins, records, championships and GPAs. But for a group of Revolutionary athletes, success means much more than just athletic or academic success; it's built on the foundation of serving others in the DC community.
 
Through a partnership with Grassroots Health, GW student-athletes are achieving this success by making an impact in the lives of DC youth every day. Founded in 2009, Grassroots Health's mission is to advance health equity in cities by using sports to re-imagine health education in middle schools and engage NCAA athletes as educators and role models for youth.
 
Formerly known as the Grassroot Project, Grassroots Health relies heavily on the participation of student-athletes from DC's four NCAA Division I Universities - GW, Georgetown, American and Howard. These students volunteer their time to connect with middle schoolers in the DC community, mentoring and teaching them both the importance of health education and the long-term benefits of staying active.
 
While all four DC universities play an integral role in Grassroots Health's success, none is more tightly woven into its history than GW. Founded by a group of 40 Georgetown students, GW student-athletes quickly joined the fold in 2010 and have been an integral part of the team in the subsequent 16 years. GW alums hold four of the seven full-time positions within the organization today, including Jane Wallis, a 2014 graduate and women's soccer alumna, who serves as Grassroots Health's Executive Director.
 
"What's cool about our history is we've had support from GW administrators, coaches and athletes since the very beginning," Wallis said. "Over the years, we've worked with four different athletic directors and countless administrators, and to continue to have their support has been integral. It's one thing to do community service as a one-off, but it's another to continue showing up year after year."
 
Grassroots Health's mission is no more evident than through their Grassroots Connect event, which is held annually in the Charles E. Smith Center. Across a three-day span in late April, the event welcomed nearly 1,000 students, marking the largest turnout in its history. At this year's event, students were connected with 13 DC community health providers while also interacting with student-athletes to learn more about the possibilities of education and sports past high school.
 
"The really cool element is that we train collegiate student-athletes to not only teach health education but to do it in a really fun and innovative way," said Wallis. "We're using sports and their platform as student-athletes to make an impact on the lives of DC middle schoolers over the course of sixth, seventh and eighth grade."
 
Included in the current group of GW student-athletes who work with Grassroots Health is Michael Wood, a standout member of GW's Atlantic 10 Champion Men's Swimming & Diving program. Wood has worked with the non-profit organization for three years, citing his love for impacting children in the DC community.
 
"Working with Grassroots and DC youth has meant a lot to me and is something I don't take for granted," Wood said. "The DC community has given a lot to me and to GW, so it's special to be able to give back in any way I can."
 
Having one of Grassroots Health's marquee events housed on GW's campus is also an excellent way to show students what educational opportunities are possible after graduation.
 
"It's great to have an event like this on our campus," Wood said. "When I go to different (middle) schools across DC, many students have never even heard of GW or know what it is. This is a great way for us to introduce the university to a younger generation and show them what opportunities are possible here."
 
For Megan Patrick, a GW lacrosse alumna, class of 2022 graduate and current Grassroots Health Senior Operations Coordinator, her journey to finding the organization was made through the community she built as a GW student-athlete.
 
"In my first year at GW, one of my teammates, Abby Carlin, invited all the freshmen on our team to a Grassroots training event," said Patrick. "I built a great community of peers with other student-athletes who were there, and even though it was a challenge at times getting used to teaching middle schoolers, I loved the idea of making an impact on their lives."
 
Since then, Patrick credits the work she's done with Grassroots Health on shaping her into the person she is today.
 
"The impact Grassroots has had on me is immeasurable," Patrick said. "When I arrived at GW, I had a life plan already laid out. I wanted to work in policy on Capitol Hill, but my time with Grassroots opened my eyes to a different route of serving the community." 
 
For any prospective student-athletes hoping to get involved, Patrick urges them not to wait.
 
"My best experiences in college were through Grassroots Health," Patrick said. "It gave me an opportunity to not only meet people outside of GW, but I also grew closer to the student-athletes who were on other GW teams. These relationships mean so much to me, and they are still some of my closest friends to this day."
 
For more information and to find out how you can support Grassroots Health and its mission, visit their website here. Information on the organization's upcoming 5K can also be found here.