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Nicole Conard Earns Wilma Rudolph Student-Athlete Achievement Award
6/12/2024 2:47:00 PM | Women's Tennis
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State women's tennis player Nicole Conard was honored with the distinguished Wilma Rudolph Student-Athlete Achievement Award, as presented by the National Association of Academic and Student-Athlete Development Professionals (N4A).
This year's Wilma Rudolph recipients were Parker Byrd, East Carolina, Nicole Conard, Michigan State, Jasmyne Cooper, University of Wyoming, Courtney Lamas-Lanier, Florida Atlantic, and Petal Palmer, West Virginia. These five student-athletes were honored in conjunction with the 2024 N4A Convention on June 10 in Las Vegas.
Conard, who hails from Boca Raton, Florida, conquered numerous obstacles throughout her childhood and early adulthood. From losing her father to suicide at the age of five, surviving years of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse from her stepfather/tennis coach, enduring bullying from peers at her tennis academy, and battling severe mental illness, including a nearly fatal suicide attempt, Nicole's journey has been marked by countless traumas. Despite these challenges, Conard's love for tennis remained steady throughout the waves of life's ups and downs. She has excelled as a student-athlete, graduating with dual degrees in psychology and government from Dartmouth College, as well a master's in criminal justice from Michigan State. She did all of this while managing the demanding schedule of a Division I tennis player competing in the Ivy League and Big Ten conferences.
She is the epitome of strength, positivity, courage and perseverance, which is evident to everyone around her. Conard is an example to the younger generation of athletes, showing them that they too have the resiliency to overcome any adversity and achieve their highest goals.
Conard embraces her vulnerability and shares her journey openly to inspire others. She is a leader, role model, and advocate for mental health awareness and victims of abuse. Having experienced firsthand the importance of a supportive community, she seeks to provide that same support to others who suffer in silence. Conard plans to use her experiences to bring empathy and kindness to those in the criminal justice system and fight for fellow survivors.
About Wilma Rudolph: Despite being told as a child she would never walk again, Wilma Rudolph relentlessly pursued her dreams of becoming an international track and field star. At the height of her career, "the fastest woman in the world" used her platform to shed light on social issues. Rudolph competed in the 1956 Olympic Games and won a bronze medal in the 4x100 relay. Four years later, she headed to the 1960 Summer Olympics determined to earn gold. Her performance in Rome cemented her as one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century.
About N4A: N4A, which has been in existence since 1975, is a diverse educational service and professional non-profit organization. Membership of N4A includes academic support and student services personnel who are committed to enhancing opportunities for academic, athletics and personal success for student-athletes. For more information on N4A, visit www.nfoura.org. N4A is administered by NACDA, which is in its 59th year.
This year's Wilma Rudolph recipients were Parker Byrd, East Carolina, Nicole Conard, Michigan State, Jasmyne Cooper, University of Wyoming, Courtney Lamas-Lanier, Florida Atlantic, and Petal Palmer, West Virginia. These five student-athletes were honored in conjunction with the 2024 N4A Convention on June 10 in Las Vegas.
Conard, who hails from Boca Raton, Florida, conquered numerous obstacles throughout her childhood and early adulthood. From losing her father to suicide at the age of five, surviving years of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse from her stepfather/tennis coach, enduring bullying from peers at her tennis academy, and battling severe mental illness, including a nearly fatal suicide attempt, Nicole's journey has been marked by countless traumas. Despite these challenges, Conard's love for tennis remained steady throughout the waves of life's ups and downs. She has excelled as a student-athlete, graduating with dual degrees in psychology and government from Dartmouth College, as well a master's in criminal justice from Michigan State. She did all of this while managing the demanding schedule of a Division I tennis player competing in the Ivy League and Big Ten conferences.
She is the epitome of strength, positivity, courage and perseverance, which is evident to everyone around her. Conard is an example to the younger generation of athletes, showing them that they too have the resiliency to overcome any adversity and achieve their highest goals.
Conard embraces her vulnerability and shares her journey openly to inspire others. She is a leader, role model, and advocate for mental health awareness and victims of abuse. Having experienced firsthand the importance of a supportive community, she seeks to provide that same support to others who suffer in silence. Conard plans to use her experiences to bring empathy and kindness to those in the criminal justice system and fight for fellow survivors.
About Wilma Rudolph: Despite being told as a child she would never walk again, Wilma Rudolph relentlessly pursued her dreams of becoming an international track and field star. At the height of her career, "the fastest woman in the world" used her platform to shed light on social issues. Rudolph competed in the 1956 Olympic Games and won a bronze medal in the 4x100 relay. Four years later, she headed to the 1960 Summer Olympics determined to earn gold. Her performance in Rome cemented her as one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century.
About N4A: N4A, which has been in existence since 1975, is a diverse educational service and professional non-profit organization. Membership of N4A includes academic support and student services personnel who are committed to enhancing opportunities for academic, athletics and personal success for student-athletes. For more information on N4A, visit www.nfoura.org. N4A is administered by NACDA, which is in its 59th year.
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