On January 6-8, 10 Bentley University student-athletes participated in the 2021 Black Student-Athlete Summit hosted by the Heman Sweatt Center for Black Males at the University of Texas. The three-day event was offered virtually due to COVID-19.

This year marked the eighth annual Black Student-Athlete Summit, an event created to bring together Black student-athletes, staff and administrators from all across the country. It was the first year that Bentley student-athletes have participated in the Summit.

The theme of this year's summit "The Black Student-Athlete: Woke! Now What?" created opportunities for student-athletes to connect with one another and share their stories and experiences.

Topics focused on student-athlete responses to racial and social injustices that were highlighted in 2020, and health inequities exposed by COVID-19. Presentations and speakers also focused on how Black student-athletes can further become leaders on campus and how to advocate for change on both their campuses and in the community.

The Bentley student-athlete contingent that attended included Haley Bernhardt of the women's soccer team, Micye Duntin, Joe Rivers, Edgar Semedo, Guy Springer, Herve Tshibamba and Tajon Vassar of the football team, and Isaac Martin, Jusouf Rashad and Brian Wright-Kinsey from the men's basketball team.

Below, a few of the student-athletes that attended the summit were kind enough to share what their biggest takeaway was.

Haley Bernhard-Women's Soccer-Sophomore: "The best part of the summit for me was seeing and hearing from other women athletes of color. I haven't had the chance before to listen to other people who have had similar and relatable struggles as me. And that just gave me peace of mind that other people are out there doing the same things and feeling the same way that I do."

Micye Duntin-Football-Freshman: "One thing I will always remember about the summit, was the very first speaker (Jason Ferguson of GetHit). Hearing his speech and hearing his story about all the stuff that he went through, and looking at where he is now, really resonated with me. Because growing up where I'm from, it takes a lot to get into the position where I'm at. It took a lot of work, and I know a lot of student-athletes feel the same way."

Isaac Martin-Men's Basketball-Sophomore: "My favorite thing about the summit was definitely hearing from other black student-athletes across the country. Everyone had similar but different stories, but we all have the same goal, whether that is through academics or sports, the main goal is to change the narrative."

Joe Rivers-Football-Freshman: "The thing that stood out to me the most was that mental health was addressed. It's easily overlooked, especially for black student-athletes, so that's really important to me."

Edgar Semedo-Football-Junior: "One thing that stuck with me, was that when it comes to mental health, we as athletes exist in bravery every second of every day. Whether it's making the first down catch, shooting the game winning three, or seeking a therapist."

Herve Tshimamba-Football-Freshman: "My key takeaway is that it is never too early to start thinking about what you are going to do after school. You can't only depend on your athleticism to carry you through life."