Eryn Brennan
In Motion Staff Writer
Student athletes sat lined up against the wall of the L. Gale Lemerand Center waiting for an ice-cream social to begin so that they could meet the “Falcons in Action” who will guide them over the next year.
Made up of faculty and staff, retirees and members of the community, Falcons In Action are mentors to students who come to Daytona State College from out of town, out of state and in some cases, out of the country, to participate in college athletics.
Falcons in Action started in 2000 when Daytona State College staff member Linda Sullivan was introduced to a young basketball player from Poland who didn’t know anyone and Sullivan became her mentor. Realizing that there were others like this student, and that she would need help mentoring them, Sullivan got faculty members Margaret Overbey and the late Dr. Nancy Thomas involved and the Falcons in Action program was born.
Along with support, mentors make sure that their athletes get to have fun after all their studies and practices. Past activities have included going to the movies, the spring at DeLeon Springs, picnics and even going to Orlando Magic games. Simple things, like having someone to vent to or celebrate their birthday with means a lot to students away from home for the first time.
“It’s just really to help the student athletes transition,” said Overbey.
Kendrick Thompson, a basketball player from Tennessee said of his new mentor, administrator Lonnie Thompson, “It’s great to have someone you can go to and look up to and someone you can call if you have a bad day or something.”
Another athletic department member, athletic coordinator Alison Mohr, said, “It’s nice to see someone in the stands at games.”
There are 53 students participating in the program this year, with not quite that many mentors. Some of the mentors, like Overbey, have taken on two students. Her mentees, Ka’Neeshia Brown, a basketball player from Miami, and softball player Mackenzi Steele, a transfer student from Virginia, are happy that a program like this exists.
“I think it’s a great program for transfer students and freshman,” said Steele, who also happens to be Overbey’s math student.
Brown agreed. “It’s helped me academically.” At the Sept. 22 Ice Cream Social, students chatted and in some cases were already laughing and joking around with their mentors. The social set a relaxed tone for the athletes and mentors to get to know each other. It’s easy to see how some have grown close in the past.
“I’ve kept in contact with some of my mentees. Others have as well,” said Overbey.
The Falcons in Action program is about more than athletics. It provides students with a home away from home. Athletics coordinator Cindy Iafanti summed it up the best when she said, “It takes a village. This is our village.”
Falcons in Action continues to look for mentors within the DSC community. If you would like to know more about the program or to find out how to make a difference as a mentor, call Alison Mohr at 506-3400 or mohra@daytonastate.edu