LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - Gregg Simmons of Centenary College and Jennifer Kopetic of Texas Lutheran University have been selected as the SCAC Male and Female Character & Community Student-Athletes of the Week, respectively, for the week ending Sunday, October 13.
The SCAC Character & Community award was created in 2009 to
honor and recognize the efforts of the
extraordinary student-athletes of the conference who not
only excel athletically on the field, course, court, pool or
track, but also by serving their campus and community.
To view past winners of the award, click here.
GREGG SIMMONS OF CENTENARY COLLEGE, a a freshman from
Stonewall, La., has been selected the SCAC Character &
Community Male Student-Athlete-of-the-Week for the week ending
Sunday, October 13.
Simmons, a first-year runner on the Gents’ cross country
team, most recently posted the team’s second-best finish at
the Centenary College Invitational, running a time of 38:08 on the
8K course which will host the SCAC championship event next
month.
Off the course, Simmons really shines as he has taken a leadership
role in many church and community projects and activities.
He works with Kidstuf!, which is a
family-blended worship service, where he is the assistant producer
of a short skit that reiterates the virtue of the month in a way
that children (age kindergarten to fifth grade) can better
understand it. Simmons also plays the character Marshall –
one of the skit’s main characters.
In Sunday school, he teaches fourth and fifth graders bible lessons
each week, and also leads various activities that go along with
that week’s story. He also helps produce a Wednesday evening
kid’s program called Ignite!
Simmons has also done work with first through fifth grade kids that
helps developmental skills and teaches various life lessons. He has
also worked with older kids (sixth through 12th graders) –
assisting with leadership and spiritual development by using games
in an action-packed and fun-filled weeklong camp.
Simmons has also been active with the 4H Club and the FFA Livestock
show where he has led workshops on sportsmanship and animal
husbandry as well as workshops on proper nutrition, showmanship,
and animal selection for fourth through 12th grade students. He
gave a motivational speech to 1,600 people at the Louisiana State
FFA Convention and Expo.
Additionally, Simmons has worked with Habitat for Humanity, where
he assisted in building a house for a homeless family. His work for
the homeless extends to Hub, which is an organization
that helps to feed the homeless of downtown Shreveport a hearty
meal and encourages volunteers to spend the evening at the
shelter.
JENNIFER KOPETIC OF TEXAS LUTHERAN
UNIVERSITY, a senior midfielder/defender and
captain on the women's soccer team, has been selected the SCAC
Character & Community Female Student-Athlete-of-the-Week for
the week ending October 13, 2013.
A four-year letter-winner and a four-year starter for the TLU
women's soccer team, Kopetic has volunteered on campus and off
campus with a variety of projects. She has committed her time to
community service projects with Day of the Dogs, Hot D.A.W.G.S. and
Habitat for Humanity.
Kopetic has also volunteered her time to be a mentor to students at
Seguin's Saegert Middle School. She has also participated a tutor
in a GED tutoring program. Kopetic has assisted with prospective
student interviews at TLU's annual Pace Day (where students contend
for TLU's top academic scholarships). She also has volunteered at
Cactus Ranch Elementary School as a field day helper.
A 3.95 student in psychology and Spanish (with a minor in
geography), she is a member of TLU's prestigious Honors Program.
She was a two-time ASC Academic All-Conference selection and will
be a three-time nominee for Academic All-District and All-America
honors.
