Andrew Cooper served the college athlete community as the Student Athlete Advisory Council President at both Washington State University and University of California – Berkley. During this time, he recognized a disconnect between athlete voices and their representation in NCAA decision making. Cooper founded the podcast D1on1, launched Str3ngth in Stories in partnership with Dam Worth It and Hilinski's Hope, and drove the #WeAreUnited movement which stood for health and safety protections for college athletes during the Coronavirus pandemic. Andrew is passionate about destigmatizing mental health and dismantling systemic racism.
Kyler Little is a software engineer for Tableau Software who uses his abilities to assist others and drive change. Little co-founded the podcast D1on1, launched Str3ngth in Stories – an event in partnership with Dam Worth It and Hilinski’s Hope, and has been a mental health activist and career mentor. Kyler is passionate about using his technical skills and diverse experiences to create understanding between people.
Kassidy Woods made an impact on college athletes through his involvement in the Student Athlete Advisory Council, Pac-12 Student Athlete Leadership Team, and co-founding the Washington State University (WSU) Black Student Athletes Association. Wood played an instrumental role in the Pac-12 #WeAreUnited movement which stood for health and safety protections for college athletes during the Coronavirus pandemic. Due to his involvement in #WeAreUnited he was unfairly removed from the roster at WSU. Wood is passionate about using his platform to help create a safe space for athletes to build community and drive meaningful change.
Kaiya McCullough prides herself on being an activist in her community and using her platform to drive change. In 2017 McCullough was one of the first college athletes to kneel in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick in protest of police brutality. Kaiya is passionate about ensuring that college athletes are protected, compensated and thriving as well as advocating for social justice issues within sports.
Daniel Pearson served the college athlete community as the Student Athlete Advisory Council President. During this time, he realized the disconnect between athlete voices and their representation in NCAA decision making. Pearson is passionate about advocating for the rights and well-being of college athletes through using his platform to build a space where athletes have the ability to share their voice.
Morgan Jones makes an impact on college athletes through her involvement in a range of campus communities including the Black Student Athlete Association (BSAA), Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), Women in Leadership Development, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. In 2020 Jones was selected as a member of the ACC Search Committee for the conference Commissioner. Morgan prides herself on being an activist in her community and using her platform to drive change.
Rosie Cruz chose to speak publicly as a witness and victim of psychologically abusive coaching during her time as an NCAA D1 athlete. Cruz believes that standing up against institutional violence through the power of story-telling can create a movement for change in college athletics. Rosie is passionate about re-envisioning athletics in a more inclusive and accessible manner that allows for diverse voices and conversations. She is committed to creating a celebratory and uplifting space in sport for marginalized communities.