athletes

Senior national judo champ has aerospace aspirations

Tama Moni — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 19:58:16 +0000

Senior national judo champ has aerospace aspirations Tama Moni Tue, 10/04/2022 - 15:58

Reigning senior national judo champion and ��ӽ紫ý senior Yasmin Alamin is eager to launch her career in mechanical engineering in 2023. A career in engineering, Alamin says frankly, appeals to her for the potential to earn a good income. She adds she is lucky to enjoy working in her chosen field:

“To go through a fixed process like the design process, to create something out of an abstract idea that's realistic, that you can use to solve a problem.” She says, “Seeing that kind of magic development...is really, really cool.”

Alamin credits her work in judo for instilling humility and resilience in her work as an engineering student. She says a common misconception held about judo is that the main objective is to compete.

“The philosophy around judo is to make you a better citizen or make you a better human being.” She says, “The best part of judo is the better person that it's made me, to be more humble, to be a better teacher, and to be more confident.” She jokes, “I didn't think I had an ego before, but [there’s] nothing like getting thrown a lot to make you more humble.”

She adds judo has helped her build resilience. She explains, "Having to repetitively get up and keep working on things, having that head-to-head type of competition against sometimes-scary people, has helped me build a special resilience that has helped [me] in mechanical engineering [to] deal with some of the pressure and some of the stress and some of the presentations and the critiques from the professors on designs.”

Associate professor of mechanical engineering Colin Reagle writes of Alamin, “Yasmin was a joy to have in the classroom...Her process and approach to learning is equally impressive. She was prepared for every opportunity and equally reflective after the class ended or the assignment [was] submitted. Her ‘won’t quit’ attitude is going to take her far in life after she leaves Mason.”

Ultimately, Alamin aspires to own her own aerospace company.

Topics

Judo

mechanical engineering

Aerospace

athletes

Students

Olympics and March Madness Ideal Time to Focus on Athlete Mental Health

John Brandon Cantrell — Fri, 18 Feb 2022 14:28:33 +0000

Olympics and March Madness Ideal Time to Focus on Athlete Mental Health John Brandon C… Fri, 02/18/2022 - 09:28

High profile sporting events like the Winter Olympics and March Madness are times to celebrate the amazing accomplishment of athletes—and to ensure that all athletes receive the mental health support they need.

Emmett Gill, term assistant professor of Social Work at ��ӽ紫ý, wants to shed more light on the mental health of athletes, particularly Black and Brown athletes.

“Athletes, and people in general, feel that if you go to a mental health professional then you’re broken, and something is wrong with you, but that’s not the case,” said Gill.

In addition to teaching Mason courses in alcohol and substance abuse and behavioral health, Gill teaches workshops on the impact of racism on athlete mental health and is developing an app to focus on athlete wellness.

Emmett Gill is a term assistant professor of Social Work in ��ӽ紫ý’s College of Health and Human Services. His expertise is in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice in sports. Prior to joining Mason, he worked for NFL Lifeline. He has also served as a faculty member and supported athletics for Rutgers University, North Carolina Central, and the University of Texas at Austin. A licensed social worker, Gill is also a founding member of the Alliance of Social Workers in Sports. He can be reached at egill7@gmu.edu.

For more information, contact Michelle Thompson at 703-993-3485 or mthomp7@gmu.edu.

About ��ӽ紫ý
��ӽ紫ý is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls more than 39,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity, and commitment to accessibility.

About the College of Health and Human Services
��ӽ紫ý University's College of Health and Human Services prepares students to become leaders and shape the public's health through academic excellence, research of consequence, community outreach, and interprofessional clinical practice. ��ӽ紫ý is the fastest-growing Research I institution in the country. The College enrolls more than 1,900 undergraduate and 1,300 graduate students in its nationally-recognized offerings, including: 6 undergraduate degrees, 13 graduate degrees, and 6 certificate programs. The college is transitioning to a college of public health in the near future. For more information, visit https://chhs.gmu.edu/.

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Mason’s Dacheka Kolcum has a special place in her heart for her native Haiti

John Hollis — Thu, 16 Sep 2021 17:33:02 +0000

Mason’s Dacheka Kolcum has a special place in her heart for her native Haiti John Hollis Thu, 09/16/2021 - 13:33

Dacheka Kolcum’s heart remains in her native Haiti, even if she hasn’t set foot in the Caribbean island nation since she was a little girl.

When the ��ӽ紫ý women’s soccer standout heard about the Aug. 14 earthquake that devastated Haiti, she immediately jumped into action to help.

The senior sport management major from Leesburg, Virginia, was born and raised in Haiti until being adopted by an American family at age 6. She’s since reconnected with her biological family and has wasted no time in lending a helping hand.

“It was really hard [hearing the news],” Kolcum said. “The first thing I wanted to do was call my family. When I knew they were OK, then I knew how to do something. I knew this was a calling for me to step forward and take some action.”

A GoFundMe page she set up has raised nearly $5,000 to help provide basic necessities for those most adversely impacted by quake.

One of the most impoverished nations in the world, Haiti immediately found itself in dire need of help, even as it was still recovering from a previous massive earthquake in 2010. The most recent quake killed more than 2,000 people and injured more than 12,000 others. More than 136,000 of the nation’s buildings were either damaged or destroyed.

Dacheka Kolcum earned the Atlantic 10 Player of the Week honor earlier this year. Photo by Mason Athletics.

The money raised on the GoFundMe page will be distributed through a local organization in Haiti run by Kolcum’s biological father. The group is working on bringing materials and aid, such as clean water, clothes, food, soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste, to the areas in Haiti most affected by the earthquake.

“Haiti is my roots, Haiti is my family, Haiti is what I wake up every day to work towards,” Kolcum said. “I think I’ve been put on this Earth to give back to my home country. Haiti is my motivator.”

First-year Patriots coach Manya Puppione said she was happy to help when Kolcum first approached her about contributing to people in need.

“I am just in awe of Dacheka's leadership, empathy, and her willingness to take action,” Puppione said. “I know that she wants to be there to help out with her feet on the Haitian ground, and I know she will get there when she can.”

Kolcum said she’s been struck by the overwhelming generosity of the Mason community and others. Even the smallest donations can go a long way in a third-world nation like Haiti, she added.

“Helping as many people as I can in Haiti and opening as many eyes as I can in America is the end goal,” Kolcum said.

Topics

athletes

Athletics

College of Education and Human Development

sport management

Students