SEATTLE – Seattle University Athletics kicks off the school year with a new program, The Redhawk Experience (TREx), that brings a distinctly Jesuit and unique Seattle U approach to intercollegiate athletics. TREx informs how the athletics family lives in community with one another – shaping how students, staff, coaches and administrators learn, teach and compete – putting the university's values into action. By reframing the student athlete experience to build a deep sense of inclusion and belonging, TREx develops athletes into Redhawks for life.
"Our goal is for students to emerge from The Redhawk Experience as exemplars of Seattle U's mission," says Director of Athletics Shaney Fink. "The program directs our students to integrate resources on campus with their experience as intercollegiate athletes to create an unparalleled learning opportunity."
Engage, Reflect, Serve, Prepare
Mirroring the broader Seattle U experience, TREx encapsulates programs that offer transformative engagement opportunities that inspire spiritual formation, community partnership and career preparation. As all student athletes progress through The Redhawk Experience, they are fully immersed in the continual Engage, Reflect, Serve, Prepare cycle. The process develops an Ignatian habit of mind, adapted to athletics, that remains with the student athletes throughout their lives.
"TREx enhances our student athletes' personal growth and develops transferable skills to prepare them for an increasingly tough economy and job market," says Bobby Matthews, Assistant Director for The Redhawk Experience. "The programming deepens their connections with faculty, the broader student population, alumni and the local community, strengthening their sense of belonging at Seattle U."
Matthews studied data from NCAA student athlete surveys, Seattle U student athlete surveys and other research to understand student athletes' sense of belonging. He found that student athletes see belonging in a particular order:
Foundation for Formation
The spirit of TREx has lived for some time with Seattle U athletes, coaches, staff and administrators. Matthews assessed what was already happening before collaborating with Fink, Associate Athletic Director Eric Guerra and other faculty and staff across campus to develop the TREx framework. The outbreak of the COVID pandemic delayed plans for an earlier public launch of The Redhawk Experience, but all programs continued to move forward.
"We have created the Racial Equity Working Group to further advance an inclusively excellent, anti-racist athletics community," Matthews says. "And, under the leadership of several student athletes and two coaches, our Voting Matters initiative geared towards voter education, voter registration and voter participation has already taken off."
The TREx Framework
At Seattle University, we believe that personal formation is built in the pursuit of championships. TREx includes engagement opportunities within the team, within the greater athletic population and with faculty, as well as with alumni, community organizations and the business community. All activities reinforce a sense of belonging, which research shows increases persistence, resilience, retention and the number of graduates.
The university's proximity to Seattle's dynamic business community positions students to take advantage of career engagement and employment opportunities. Its diverse surrounding neighborhoods with their histories add to the uniqueness of the student experience. Athletics' relationship with the Center for Community Engagement aligns student athletes with opportunities to serve at local organizations, specifically at Washington Middle School (WMS) and St. Francis House. TREx continues and strengthens these partnerships.
Twenty student athletes participate in the Redhawk Academic Mentoring Program at WMS. Before starting weekly meetings with their mentees, they complete a Racial Equity Workshop led by the Center for Community Engagement. According to Ansel Pendley-Griffin, WMS mentor and member of the men's cross-country team, "The program is based on the idea that positive role models enhance child development." Another WMS mentor, women's cross country/track and field student athlete Jamie Hegg, '20, earned the Distinguished Graduating Student Award in recognition of her leadership in the Redhawk Academic Mentoring Program.
Career preparation also takes place through The Redhawk Experience. New student athletes begin by participating in an Engaging with "New" Confidence Workshop. The annual Redhawk Student Athlete Career Fair, attended by all student athletes, provides an opportunity to network and connect with alumni athletes to learn about their career paths as well as internship and employment opportunities. Student athletes can also access the new Redhawk Landing platform to connect with experienced alumni, including alumni athletes, for career mentoring. Help with resume and cover letter preparation, interview skills and career exploration are available through the Career Engagement Office. The goal is for student athletes to be well-prepared to find meaningful work and career opportunities after graduating from Seattle U.
Redhawks for Life
The Redhawk Experience aspires to develop within each student athlete a lifelong affinity and commitment to Seattle University. This affinity will inspire alumni athletes to engage with student athletes as mentors, to return to Seattle U for networking at the annual Student Athlete Career Fair, to attend the Red Tie Celebration and other Seattle U alumni events and to engage future generations of student athletes presenting TREx as a mission-based, uniquely Seattle U Athletics program.
"My hope is that TREx will be a source of pride for our students, faculty, staff and alumni that develops Redhawks for life and draws future generations of students to the transformative opportunities of our intercollegiate athletics experience," Fink says.
Learn more about The Redhawk Experience here. To support the program, please contact Joe Knight at knightjoseph@seattleu.edu or 206-220-8579.
"Our goal is for students to emerge from The Redhawk Experience as exemplars of Seattle U's mission," says Director of Athletics Shaney Fink. "The program directs our students to integrate resources on campus with their experience as intercollegiate athletes to create an unparalleled learning opportunity."
Engage, Reflect, Serve, Prepare
Mirroring the broader Seattle U experience, TREx encapsulates programs that offer transformative engagement opportunities that inspire spiritual formation, community partnership and career preparation. As all student athletes progress through The Redhawk Experience, they are fully immersed in the continual Engage, Reflect, Serve, Prepare cycle. The process develops an Ignatian habit of mind, adapted to athletics, that remains with the student athletes throughout their lives.
"TREx enhances our student athletes' personal growth and develops transferable skills to prepare them for an increasingly tough economy and job market," says Bobby Matthews, Assistant Director for The Redhawk Experience. "The programming deepens their connections with faculty, the broader student population, alumni and the local community, strengthening their sense of belonging at Seattle U."
Matthews studied data from NCAA student athlete surveys, Seattle U student athlete surveys and other research to understand student athletes' sense of belonging. He found that student athletes see belonging in a particular order:
- With their teammates
- Within the larger student athlete community
- With the campus, most specifically in the relationships they have built with their professors
Foundation for Formation
The spirit of TREx has lived for some time with Seattle U athletes, coaches, staff and administrators. Matthews assessed what was already happening before collaborating with Fink, Associate Athletic Director Eric Guerra and other faculty and staff across campus to develop the TREx framework. The outbreak of the COVID pandemic delayed plans for an earlier public launch of The Redhawk Experience, but all programs continued to move forward.
"We have created the Racial Equity Working Group to further advance an inclusively excellent, anti-racist athletics community," Matthews says. "And, under the leadership of several student athletes and two coaches, our Voting Matters initiative geared towards voter education, voter registration and voter participation has already taken off."
The TREx Framework
At Seattle University, we believe that personal formation is built in the pursuit of championships. TREx includes engagement opportunities within the team, within the greater athletic population and with faculty, as well as with alumni, community organizations and the business community. All activities reinforce a sense of belonging, which research shows increases persistence, resilience, retention and the number of graduates.
The university's proximity to Seattle's dynamic business community positions students to take advantage of career engagement and employment opportunities. Its diverse surrounding neighborhoods with their histories add to the uniqueness of the student experience. Athletics' relationship with the Center for Community Engagement aligns student athletes with opportunities to serve at local organizations, specifically at Washington Middle School (WMS) and St. Francis House. TREx continues and strengthens these partnerships.
Twenty student athletes participate in the Redhawk Academic Mentoring Program at WMS. Before starting weekly meetings with their mentees, they complete a Racial Equity Workshop led by the Center for Community Engagement. According to Ansel Pendley-Griffin, WMS mentor and member of the men's cross-country team, "The program is based on the idea that positive role models enhance child development." Another WMS mentor, women's cross country/track and field student athlete Jamie Hegg, '20, earned the Distinguished Graduating Student Award in recognition of her leadership in the Redhawk Academic Mentoring Program.
Career preparation also takes place through The Redhawk Experience. New student athletes begin by participating in an Engaging with "New" Confidence Workshop. The annual Redhawk Student Athlete Career Fair, attended by all student athletes, provides an opportunity to network and connect with alumni athletes to learn about their career paths as well as internship and employment opportunities. Student athletes can also access the new Redhawk Landing platform to connect with experienced alumni, including alumni athletes, for career mentoring. Help with resume and cover letter preparation, interview skills and career exploration are available through the Career Engagement Office. The goal is for student athletes to be well-prepared to find meaningful work and career opportunities after graduating from Seattle U.
Redhawks for Life
The Redhawk Experience aspires to develop within each student athlete a lifelong affinity and commitment to Seattle University. This affinity will inspire alumni athletes to engage with student athletes as mentors, to return to Seattle U for networking at the annual Student Athlete Career Fair, to attend the Red Tie Celebration and other Seattle U alumni events and to engage future generations of student athletes presenting TREx as a mission-based, uniquely Seattle U Athletics program.
"My hope is that TREx will be a source of pride for our students, faculty, staff and alumni that develops Redhawks for life and draws future generations of students to the transformative opportunities of our intercollegiate athletics experience," Fink says.
Learn more about The Redhawk Experience here. To support the program, please contact Joe Knight at knightjoseph@seattleu.edu or 206-220-8579.