The 2020-21 leaders of the Peru Association of Student Athletes (PASA) have several challenges facing them in the upcoming year.
However, before they begin tackling their challenges, chair Vivian Brown (Wichita, Kan.), vice chair Maddy McPhillips (Omaha), and communications director Jaxson Balm (Auburn) can bask in the limelight for a little bit as Peru State athletic director Wayne Albury has selected them as the Bobcat athletes of the month for May.
One of the challenges that the leadership team will face is how to keep PASA and all of the Bobcat student-athletes engaged in 2020-21. One reason this is a challenge is that PASA was recently named as the Dr. Thomas Ediger Award winner for the 2019-20 academic year by the Student Senate. The Ediger award is designed to honor an outstanding club or organization that has shown outstanding service to the campus and its surrounding community.
All three assisted in some manner with Brown and McPhillips having major roles with different service aspects during the year. While the number is down due to COVID-19, the athletic department is nearing 2,500 hours of service for the past year.
Another challenge facing the trio will be revamping PASA’s constitution to include the new varsity programs joining the Bobcats’ list of sports this fall. This will also pose challenges of how to actively involve nearly 400 student-athletes on the campus.
All three are seniors academically with Brown representing the women’s golf program, McPhillips representing the women’s basketball program, and Balm is one of two representatives for the baseball team.
Albury commented, “PASA has a huge role in the Bobcat athletic department. Each year I challenge PASA to help with Champions of Character programming, as well as, to help serve as liaisons with their respective sport programs. This year will be a key one for PASA with the increase in our varsity sports and while we continue to deal with COVID-19.”
