Football | 4/29/2016 1:14:00 PM

Wingate, N.C.----Attending the 2016 NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum earlier this month was one of the best experiences of my life so far. This gathering of individuals who each had their own ideas, thoughts and philosophies of effective leadership and the positive energy that was present made the forum an awesome experience and perfect opportunity to learn from each other.
 
I was a part of the Coral team while at the Leadership Forum, by far the best group of individuals I have met … (*yells* "Team Coral, Ride the Wave!"). While spending quality time with my group during discussions, I learned new things about myself as a person, what it means to be a true leader and how no matter the size of the impact, we all can be the positive influence the world needs.

While being the leader of a team, group, or business, being an effective leader is all about using your strengths and remaining authentic (true to yourself) in order create new leaders.
 
JA'SHAWN JOYNER
 
In the fall of 2016, Ja'Shawn Joyner will be a redshirt junior on the Wingate University football team. He spent two seasons as a quarterback for the Bulldogs. During Wingate's recently-concluded spring drills, Joyner moved to defensive back. A Pyschology major at Wingate, Ja'Shawn is the son of Kimberlie Scales and Charles Joyner.
 
THE NCAA STUDENT-ATHLETE LEADERSHIP FORUM
 
The NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum engages a diverse and dynamic representation of student-athletes, coaches, faculty and administrators. Student-athletes selected to attend Leadership Forum return to campus with invaluable leadership skills, the experience of exploring the relationship between personal values, core beliefs and behavioral styles and a thorough understanding of the NCAA as a whole, the different divisional perspectives and the valuable role of Student-Athlete Advisory Committees (SAAC). The Leadership Forum, created in 1997, has been a life-changing experience for nearly 5,000 student-athletes, many who have grown personally and professionally, gained a new network of peers and friends, as well as felt the rewards and importance of community service.
 
WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
Wingate University, consistently ranked as a top 10 "best value" in the South by U.S. News & World Report, serves more than 3,100 students on three campuses in Wingate, Charlotte and Hendersonville, N.C. Founded in 1896, the University offers 35 undergraduate majors, 37 minors and career concentrations, numerous pre-professional programs, master's degrees in business, accounting, education, physician assistant studies and sport management and doctorates in pharmacy, physical therapy and education.
 
With a 15 to 1 student/teacher ratio, Wingate students gain the tools and support needed to excel in academics and apply that learning toward an extraordinary career and life. To view current news, video and story ideas, visit www.youtube.com/wingateuniversity. 
 
In addition to a robust intramural athletics program, Wingate student athletes compete in 22 NCAA Division II sports. The University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past nine years. For more information, go to www.wingate.edu.
 
Wingate is first among NCAA Division II Academic All-America®-producing colleges in the 2000's with 82 selections. Among North Carolina's colleges and universities, Wingate's 82 Academic All-America® honorees are number one during this millennium. Wingate's 91 lifetime Academic All-America® picks are tops among all SAC schools. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com.