FEATURE
Spartans At Your Service
By Cassie Myers
FEATURE
Spartans At Your Service
By Cassie Myers
San Jos茅 State athletes have been decorated and celebrated for many reasons over the years: for seven bowl wins, 94 All-Americans and 10 national championships.
But in 2024, there鈥檚 only one award that Director of Athletics Jeff Konya calls 鈥�the highlight [of the year] for our organization:鈥� the
The award, which is given to 鈥渆xceptional athletics departments that make volunteerism and community service a way of life,鈥� was the culmination of a year of 20,000 hours of community service by Spartan athletes, ranging from toy drives to mentorship programs and more.
鈥淲inning an award like this in intercollegiate athletics speaks to our culture and what we are all about,鈥� says Konya. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 our commitment to leave a mark, leave a legacy, change a life. I am so proud of our student-athletes and staff at 91传媒厂. At the end of the day, that means so much more than a score on a scoreboard.鈥�
鈥淎t San Jos茅 State, community service is one of the pieces that fits into the larger puzzle of being a student-athlete,鈥� agrees Jada Mazury, 鈥�23 Marketing, 鈥�25 MBA. 鈥淵ou know that if you're a student-athlete, you're going to be involved in the community. That's just a part of the culture.鈥�
Mazury, who was a member of the gymnastics team for five years, got deeply involved in community service through two programs: Beyond Sparta, which connects student-athletes to career and community service opportunities as part of its commitment to prepare them for lives outside of athletics, and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), which works within athletics to better student-athletes鈥� lives. Mazury joined SAAC in her second year and worked her way up to SAAC president, where she was also 鈥渉eavily involved鈥� in their community service efforts.
Like most student-athletes, she鈥檚 participated in countless events and initiatives over the years, but her most meaningful moments came from two drives. The first, a sanitary product and sports bra drive for underserved women in the community, donated items to on- and off-campus locations, including the Spartan Clothes Closet, the Spartan Pantry, Next Door Solutions and the Bill Wilson Center. The second, a yearly holiday toy drive, donated over 400 toys in 2023 to the African-American Community Services Agency down the street from campus.
鈥淲inning an award like this in intercollegiate athletics speaks to our culture and what we are all about. And that鈥檚 our commitment to leave a mark, leave a legacy, change a life."
鈥� Jeff Konya
Spartan student-athletes helped organize and run several community service events, including a sanitary products drive (left) and a toy drive (right). Photos courtesy of Jada Mazury and Sophie Konieczny.
The sanitary product drive in particular is a passion project for Mazury. For 2023, their goal was to donate 10,000 items, up from the 9,000 they鈥檇 donated the previous year 鈥� they ended up donating 18,000.
鈥淚've been a lead on that drive ever since its inception,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 didn't even think we were going to reach our 10,000 goal, and then when the total count came in, that was such a highlight for me. I was so proud of everyone for how much work they put in and how much outreach we all did.鈥�
Mazury adds that 91传媒厂鈥檚 emphasis on service is not just athlete-led; it鈥檚 also a huge staff effort. She cites Beyond Sparta staff as well as Laura Alexander, senior associate athletic director for student-athlete wellness and leadership development, Konya and others.
鈥淓veryone leading the department has really bought into community service,鈥� she says. 鈥淲hen athletes give back to the community, we know [athletics leadership] will fully support us. It's ingrained in the culture. It comes from the top and it comes from student-athlete leaders like myself. It鈥檚 a group effort. I think that's why we're able to do so many hours.鈥�
鈥淥ne of the primary goals of our student-athlete development program, Beyond Sparta, is to create a culture of volunteerism,鈥� agrees Alexander. 鈥淭hey truly deserve this recognition for their commitment to their community, and we could not be more proud of the hours of service and hard work they鈥檝e put in. As a department, we can only provide the opportunities 鈥� they should be credited with putting the hours in to impact their community.鈥�
鈥淏eing a woman and growing up in sports has taught me confidence and strength. All girls should have the opportunity to gain those characteristics.鈥�
鈥� Sophie Konieczny
Supporting BAWSI girls
And after Mazury earned her undergraduate degree in spring 2023, others stepped up. Sophie Konieczny, 鈥�25 Forensic Science, is a fellow member of the gymnastics team and will be SAAC president for the '24鈥�'25 school year. Like Mazury, she says she鈥檚 鈥渁lways strived to be in leadership roles and ensure that everything I am a part of is the best it can be.鈥� That led her to SAAC and community service, which she sees as an important duty.
In her previous role as SAAC events chair, Konieczny helped organize logistics for the various drives, including the sanitary products drive and the toy drives. She also participated with many other female Spartans in the Bay Area Women鈥檚 Sports Initiative (BAWSI), a mentorship program that connects female athletes with local girls to teach them leadership and athletic skills.
She鈥檚 loved her community service experiences, especially her time in BAWSI. 鈥淏eing a woman and growing up in sports has taught me confidence and strength,鈥� she explains. 鈥淎ll girls should have the opportunity to gain those characteristics.鈥�
鈥淏y living and going to school in a large metropolitan area, we are constantly exposed to the less fortunate, so it鈥檚 very rewarding when the whole athletic department can come together and collect sizable donations to make a big impact in our community,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t makes me grateful and proud to be a part of a school with values that go beyond just ourselves.鈥�
Number of hygiene products donated by Spartan student-athletes
Number of All-American Spartan student-athletes
Number of community service hours completed by Spartan student-athletes over the course of a year
Spartan student-athletes dedicated hundreds of hours to supporting local communities. Photos courtesy of Jada Mazury.
鈥淵ou see that your voice and the way you act and operate truly matters because the kids are looking up to you.鈥�
鈥� Andrew Jenkins
Beyond Football
Andrew Jenkins, 鈥�21 Political Science, 鈥�23 MS Justice Studies, 鈥�24 MS Interdisciplinary Studies, is a former Spartan football player and passionate advocate for community service. Like Mazury, he鈥檚 participated in many different activities for many different organizations, including the event 鈥� in which men walk around Santana Row in high heels as part of a sexualized violence awareness campaign 鈥� Black Lives Matter events, countless drives and a mentorship program for at-risk youth at Robert Sanders Elementary School.
The mentorship program held special memories for him. As a football player, he noticed that the children watched him carefully, and found that to be both a meaningful and a special responsibility.
鈥淵ou see that your voice and the way you act and operate truly matters because the kids are looking up to you,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd they'll follow your lead. It means so much to have fun with them and just see that huge smile when they come running to you right when you get on campus. It gave me some good perspective. It helps remind you that these are the things that matter, these kids running up to you, happy to see you because maybe you鈥檙e the best thing in their life that day.鈥�
It's clear that for many Spartan student-athletes, this work is all part of a bigger philosophy that combines leadership, service and community.
鈥淚f I want to live in a cleaner city, I need to be the same person that's out there picking up trash,鈥� Jenkins says. 鈥淚f I鈥檓 able to help, why wouldn鈥檛 I?鈥�
鈥淵ou have a platform as a student-athlete,鈥� Mazury agrees. 鈥淚t's up to you if you want to take that platform and use that to give back.鈥� And for her, giving back has been all upside. 鈥淜nowing that you're helping someone else who might not be as fortunate as you makes you feel fulfilled. If you can make someone's day a little bit better, you're doing something right.鈥�
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