March 7, 2012
Joyce Wilson, Michigan
My life is truly blessed. Among my many blessings, I am a proud alumna of the Michigan women’s track and field team (1982-86). For all my accomplishments, which include induction into the University of Michigan Women’s Track and Field Hall of Fame, I want to thank my coaches James Henry, Francine Goodridge, mentor Ken ”Red” Simmons, and a host of phenomenal teammates. As a student-athlete, the help I received was gentle, yet firm, and helped guide me athletically as well as academically. I would not have earned a degree in nursing from the University of Michigan without the help/support of the academic advisors.
In 2007, I was nominated and accepted as the Michigan representative to the Historic Big Ten Advisory Commission. I feel honored to be a member of the Advisory Commission. It is the only group of this kind of all the major athletic conferences. The Advisory Commission has a rich history and a social agenda concerned with the issues of today’s student-athletes. The future direction of this group will keep our discussions quite lively, engaging and productive. Each representative brings a special quality to the group, and I am honored to be in their company. During my tenure with the Advisory commission we made these recommendations that were adopted by the Joint Group:
1. Funding the Diversity Internship
2. Increasing conference academic standards
3. Adopting a drug testing policy
It is hopeful that the many other agenda items recommended to the Joint Group will be adopted in the near future.
A requirement as a member of the Advisory Commission is to meet with Michigan administrators, athletes and advisors as part of the campus visits. These meetings allow me to bring forth issues that may be consistent with other member institutions throughout the conference.
I have the opportunity to volunteer as a mentor for the Michigan Professional and Career Training Program (M-PACT). In that program (M-Shadow), athletes will shadow the professional in their prospective careers. The program director, Shari Acho, is very enthusiastic about this program, and I am glad to assist where I am needed. I have had athletes from football and track/cross country shadow me in emergency nursing, as well as other areas in nursing.
Currently, I live in Ann Arbor with my Husband Steve. I have a daughter who is a junior at the University of Arizona, a son who is a Junior in high school, and a son in elementary school and a big Michigan Football Fan.
