INDIANAPOLIS – Upper Iowa University has been chosen as the 2025 recipient of the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Dr. Joseph J. McGowan Visionary Award, the Conference office announced Wednesday. The Peacocks were chosen as this year's winner by the GLVC Awards Committee and will be formally recognized at the GLVC Spring Awards Reception in St. Louis, Mo., on Tuesday, May 20.
"I'm so grateful to UIU for giving me the creative freedom to shape my role in Athletics," said Assistant AD for Student-Athlete Development/Director of Academic Success Emily Jorgensen. "This allowed me to create the SA Development Series, focused on life skills and career readiness for our student-athletes. At this level, it's rare to see an administrator whose primary focus is student-athlete development, it's often housed within each coaching staff. This position made it possible to prioritize the student-athletes' growth beyond college sports, all while they're still in college."
Named after Dr. Joseph J. McGowan, President at Bellarmine University for 26 years who passed away on March 1, 2016, this award is presented annually to the GLVC institution that displays vision and exemplary programming to promote and advance the student-athlete experience.
Upper Iowa was selected for its "Student Athlete Development Series," which is a four-year plan for all student athletes to learn from working women and men all the things they need to know as they head off into the real world. Within this series, a student-athlete would attend a different workshop each year in preparation for their life after athletics. These workshops, designed specifically for where they're at in their collegiate career, will focus on personal growth, career development, social networking, financial literacy, and more! In order to make this series as harmless as possible, it was created with the student-athlete schedule in mind.
Upper Iowa has implemented two series' a year and split the teams up to attend the series that fits best within their off-season schedule. Also, each student-athlete is required to attend only one in-person workshop a year, with a 'Life After Athletics' panel via Zoom to cap off the series. As a freshman, we utilize the many events across campus to give our first-year student-athletes the best transition to college. They are required to take FYS (First Year Seminar), which focuses on the academic transition to college. SAAC hosts a 'Mental Health Panel' each year, which is required for any new student-athletes to UIU. Lastly, our first-year student-athletes are required to attend study hall, mandated by each sport, which allows them designated time to work on their coursework. As part of the SA Development Series, "Market Ready", created for our sophomore student athletes, touches on the first things you'll need to know to really grasp who you are in the professional world, including your elevator pitch to good first impressions to your ever-changing core values. We collaborate with Career Development and our communications department to provide the best experience.
"Prepared Professional", created for our junior student-athletes, showcases experts that provide tips for a student's growth as an individual, focusing on "next steps" after an interview and financial literacy. In collaboration with Career Development and a financial advisor from Northwestern Mutual, student-athletes have the opportunity to work through job interview readiness, W2s, benefits packages, retirement options, and more.
"Peacock Networking Night", created for our senior and above student-athletes, allows our student-athletes the opportunity to network with employers from all over the Midwest. It's set up with cocktail tables, appetizers, and beverages, so the student-athletes can get a real feel for a workplace social, while also giving them the opportunity to meet new people, ask life-changing questions, and learn all the things they need to know as they head off into the real world.
Lastly, our "Life After Athletics" panel is available for all student-athletes. This panel is made up of four to five alum who have begun their career since graduation and can touch on their experience at UIU as a student-athlete and the transition from collegiate student-athlete to employee, then everything in between. Questions such as "What do you wish you were involved in during college that could've prepared you better for life after athletics?" and "What's the best piece of advice you could leave our student-athletes with?" are asked. Q&A is also open for any attendees to ask questions to the panelists.
Despite this being the second year of this series, the goal is to continue to provide this series for our student-athletes at Upper Iowa University. Our coaches do everything they can to positively impact a student-athlete's experience as an athlete. UIU allows them to fulfill their academic aspirations as a student. Through the SA Development Series, we can provide them with opportunities that prepare them for their life after their time here and graduate holistic people, prepared for whatever comes next.
"This series wouldn't be possible without the support of so many," noted Jorgensen. "Anne Puffett was instrumental in getting it off the ground, while NiCole Dennler and Tanner Thompson continue to share their expertise with our student-athletes. I'm also grateful to the staff, proud alumni, and community members who give their time to make it happen. I'm excited to see how we can keep growing this series to prepare our student-athletes for life after college, both professionally and personally."
Past recipients of the Dr. Joseph J. McGowan Visionary Award include Lewis University's "Spread Your Wings" program (2017), Missouri S&T's "Pioneers of Miner Women's Athletics" (2018), University of Southern Indiana's "Networking Night at Victoria National (2019), S&T's "Professional Life Skills Development Program" (2023), and Rockhurst's "Be The Match" (2024). No awards were presented from 2020-22 due to COVID-19.
