Bulldog Student-Athletes attend Big South Leadership Conference

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Last weekend, five Bulldog student-athletes represented UNC Asheville at the Big South Leadership Conference held in Black Mountain.

The Big South Leadership Conference is an annual event that the conference has hosted for nearly two decades. Nearly 50 student-athletes attend the conference to invest and grow in leadership roles.

The Bulldogs in attendance were Elle Thigpen (volleyball), Kylie Cackovic (volleyball), Conor Behan (men's soccer), Nycerra Minnis (women's basketball), and DaMarr Harvey (track and field).

Elle Thigpen shared her experience at the conference:

"I am so grateful to be able to have the experience of attending the Big South Leadership Conference for the second time. The first time I attended was right after my freshman year. I was really nervous about attending a conference with a lot of older athletes, but after being there for just 30 minutes, I was easily able to meet so many genuine people. This year, I was welcomed back with open arms by athletes Timothy Alexander, Serling, and Stephen Dolan. The conference is set up to put you outside of your comfort zone while you are in a supportive and uplifting environment with your peers.

This year, the theme of the conference was "more than an athlete." I learned how to personally form an identity outside of sports and how this approach can also help athletes who are struggling with mental health challenges. We discussed the rapidly changing landscape of NCAA athletics, NIL, the transfer portal, and ways we can become leaders on our team, campus, and community. Every single athlete that attended genuinely cared about the student-athlete experience within the Big South and on their campus. The atmosphere throughout the conference invited everyone to show their authentic personalities, connect with others on a deeper level, and include everyone, regardless of their background or school.

Every year I have attended this conference, my favorite session has been Timothy Alexander's story about his challenges of losing people he loved, his injury as an athlete, and how his mindset has shown him that those experiences have shaped him into who he is today. He taught us that to be leaders, we must show up authentically for our team and ourselves. TA has truly become one of my biggest inspirations in life. His story and perspective has helped me when I have faced mental health challenges. He has changed my perspective towards hardships and adversity and how they are moments that allow us to use our gift of vision to form who we are as people. On a more serious note, this year, TA taught me how to play Spades, and now it is my favorite card game!

Thank you so much to UNCA and the Big South Conference for this life-changing experience!"

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