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Higher Ed Advisor: a student athlete’s perspective on COVID impact, NIL, health and wellness and more

Oct 04, 2022

A culture of openness and honesty: that is relevant for all of us, whether it’s on the field, on the court, in the classroom or in the boardroom. Anybody that wants to be successful in their organization needs to have a culture of openness and honesty.

Dave Capitano, Higher Education Practice Leader, Baker Tilly

Welcome to Higher Ed Advisor, the Baker Tilly podcast series where we speak with higher education industry leaders about practical and proactive guidance to help colleges and universities protect and enhance their value.

From performing their best in competitions to balancing academics within a demanding schedule, collegiate athletes face myriad pressures. In this uplifting episode, NCAA Division II Men’s Golf Championship Elite 90 winner and recent Baker Tilly accounting intern, Connor Bennink, opens up about how he transforms challenges encountered as a Division II (and now Division I) student athlete into opportunities. Recognizing the highly evolving collegiate athletics environment is now significantly influenced by name, image and likeness (NIL), COVID-19, rising mental health incidents and other factors, Connor provides an illuminating student athlete perspective on these topics.

Connor joins Baker Tilly’s Collegiate Athletics Practice Leaders, Dave Capitano and Adrienne Larmett, to discuss the pandemic disruption’s impact on collegiate team sports, the realities student athletes face today, his own journey using the transfer portal to transfer from Gannon University to Coastal Carolina University and advice for fellow student athletes and coaches.

Plus, we examine ways student athletes can advocate for themselves as well as how coaches and administrators can empower, build relationships with and support student athletes.

Tune in to learn how operationalizing a culture of openness and honesty not only improves the retention of collegiate athletes and boosts sports programs, but also enhances overall student and institutional success.

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Higher Ed Advisor hosts:

David Capitano

As the firm’s higher education practice leader, Dave Capitano provides oversight to more than 200 team members serving over 400 colleges, universities, research institutions and higher education systems across the United States.

Adrienne Larmett

Adrienne is a principal in Baker Tilly’s risk advisory practice, with more than 17 years of professional consulting experience.

Meet this episode’s guest speaker:

Learn more about Connor

Connor Bennink, student athlete and Baker Tilly audit intern, summer 2022

Connor Bennink was named the NCAA Division II Men’s Golf Championship Elite 90 winner as a member of the Gannon University golf team. This award is presented to the student athlete with the highest cumulative GPA participating in the NCAA National Championship. Connor will continue his higher education and golf career at Division I institution, Coastal Carolina University, as a transfer student this fall. We look forward to watching Connor’s growth on and off the course!

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For more information, or to learn how Baker Tilly’s higher education specialists can help your institution support student athlete success, contact our team.