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BEVERLY, Mass. – Endicott student-athletes Meg Power (Shrewsbury, Mass./Softball) and Jack Sutherland (Sudbury, Mass./Men's Lacrosse) have been named Team IMPACT Fellows for the 2020-2021 academic year.

In their role as Team IMPACT Fellows, Power and Sutherland Team will be challenged to think creatively and collaboratively, work with passion, and show strong attention to detail and diligence as they play an integral role in 1) supporting the development of Team IMPACT on campus; 2) engaging their community; 3) educating the athletic department to increase program participation.

Through this Fellowship, Power and Sutherland will gain skills, experience, and training that will prepare them to be leaders in the workplace and beyond. 

"I am so excited to have the opportunity to work with Team IMPACT. I think this is a great chance for me to promote a great organization such as Team IMPACT around our campus. My goal is to increase student-athlete awareness and involvement with the program," said Power. "The reason why I applied to the Team IMPACT Fellowship Program is because of the experiences I have already had with the organization, specifically with the softball team, which have been nothing short of amazing. I cannot wait to see what we will be able to accomplish." 

Sutherland echoed Power's sentiments. 

"When I was first approached by Coach [Eric] Hagarty about the potential opportunity with Team IMPACT I was really excited and motivated to try to apply and get more involved with such a great organization. My experience with Ken Wallace (our Team IMPACT match) and his family has influenced and changed me in so many positive ways. Over the last three years I have seen the impact that our team has had on Ken and also the impact that Ken has had on each of us," said Sutherland. "I am eager to get started working with Meg and Team IMPACT and help continue to foster and develop these special relationships for kids who are battling serious or chronic illnesses. Endicott's athletic department has been very supportive of the growth of Team IMPACT in our community and I am excited to see what we can do in the future." 

Key responsibilities in relation to the Team IMPACT Fellowship include:

• Attend a three-day Team IMPACT Summit to receive the necessary training for success in the role
• Educate the athletic department and larger campus community to ensure a complete understanding of Team IMPACT
• Organize one to two events and/or fundraisers to raise awareness for Team IMPACT by collaborating with the athletic department, greater campus, and local community
• Facilitate training(s) for teams on campus looking to draft a Team IMPACT child onto their roster, in conjunction with Team IMPACT staff
• Work closely with Team IMPACT staff and teams matched on campus to streamline communication and plan key moments, such as Draft Days or awareness games.
• Collect content from individual sports teams, student-athletes, and Sports Information Directors (SIDs) to be shared with the Team IMPACT Marketing & Communications Coordinator to promote the partnership on various social and media outlets 

"I am so excited about the opportunity to have two fellows in the upcoming fellowship class representing Endicott College," said Elizabeth Higgins, MS CCLS, who serves as Team IMPACT's Northeast Regional Programs Director. "The partnership with Endicott has always been strong and this opportunity only strengthens it. I cannot wait to see what Jack and Meg are able to accomplish next year." 

Endicott softball head coach Katie Bettencourt and men's lacrosse head coach Eric Hagarty '10 M'11 also expressed similar thoughts as Higgins. 

"Team IMPACT has been a huge part of our program since we met Kendall and her family last summer. The connection that we've all made with one another is extremely special to our team and I know this opportunity to represent Team IMPACT on campus means a lot to Meg," said Bettencourt. "When Meg expressed interest in applying for the position I immediately thought she would be a great candidate. I have watched Meg grow from a shy, reserved freshman to a strong vocal team leader as a junior. She is loyal, thoughtful, committed, and the epitome of a team player. In addition, she is one of the most consistent student-athletes in terms of attitude, effort, and mood. It is hard to tell when Meg is having a bad day as she is always smiling and has such a contagious laugh. I am so proud and excited for Meg. She will be an outstanding representative for Team IMPACT." 

"This is a great opportunity for Jack as well as Endicott and our lacrosse program. Since arriving as a freshman, Jack has been a huge part of Team IMPACT and built an amazing relationship with Ken and the Wallace Family. Team IMPACT has done so much for our team in changing the lives of every young man that has come through during the last five years. These relationships will last a lifetime and we are really excited that Jack was selected form such a competitive applicant pool to give back to the organization that has given us so much."

Team IMPACT Fellows are chosen for the following attributes/reasons:

• Highly intelligent and motivated, with a passion for the mission of Team IMPACT
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills
• Driven, coachable, and resourceful
• Disciplined organizational skills, with keen attention to detail
• Outstanding interpersonal skills for engaging with athletic administration, student-athletes, coaches, and Team IMPACT families
• Strong leadership experience
• Student-athlete
• Outgoing, self-starter, comfortable working both independently and as part of a team

MORE ON TEAM IMPACT

Team IMPACT is a national nonprofit that connects children facing serious and chronic illnesses with college athletic teams, forming life-long bonds and life-changing outcomes.

Through Team IMPACT, a child battling illness becomes an official (non-playing) member of a college athletic team, attending practices, games, team dinners, and more. After two years with the team, the child graduates from the program with demonstrated improvements in their optimism, confidence, and sense of belonging. Parents and siblings gain a community of support and a distraction from medical realities, and student-athletes gain invaluable inspiration and perspective that will be carried with them long after graduation.

Since 2011, Team IMPACT has matched 2,000 children with nearly 700 colleges and universities in 48 states, positively impacting more than 60,000 student-athletes.

Endicott has five teams involved with Team IMPACT on campus including football, men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse, men's soccer, and softball.