SAN RAFAEL, Calif.- Nanik Tagore, Ana Rios, Javier Machado, and Lorenza Foster-Simbulan all attended leadership conferences led by the NCAA last month. Tagore and Rios attended the NCAA Leadership Forum that consisted of 250 student athletes across all NCAA Divisions in Dallas while Machado and Foster-Simbulan attended the NCAA Division II Super Student Athletes Advisory Committee in Denver.
Tagore is a redshirt junior on the men's basketball team while also serving as president of the Penguin Student Athlete Advisory Committee (PSAAC). Foster-Simbulan is a sophomore who serves as vice president and is on the women's tennis team alongside graduate student teammate Ana Rios. Machado is a junior on the men's cross country and track team and serves as the community service leader for PSAAC. The four student-athletes took some time to discuss their experience at these NCAA leadership conferences in hopes of encouraging other fellow classmates/teammates to do the same.
Q1: How was your experience attending the Leadership Forum/Super Student Athletes Advisory Committee Regional and what were a couple things you learned from this conference?  Please share if this was your first time attending a personal-development conference. 
NT: Attending the NCAA Leadership Forum in Dallas was one of the most energizing and challenging experiences of my student-athlete journey. It was my first major personal-development conference, and it pushed me to reflect deeper on who I am as a leader and how I show up for others. I learned the importance of leading through presence rather than position, communicating with intention, and understanding my identity beyond sport. Hearing from student-athletes across the country gave me a broader perspective on service, resilience, and the responsibility we carry within our communities.

LFS: My experience attending my first collegiate conference was amazing. The people that I met there were such a light, with many unique ideas to bring to the table and to our SAAC's. I was able to make connections in the athletics world and learn a tremendous amount of information in terms of the inner workings of national SAAC. Some of the things I learned from this conference was how connected SAAC is to the national government and how much sway we have. At our convention, there were a couple of laws that they went over that were already being discussed in the Senate. I also was able to pick up a few mental health/ self-improvement exercises and activities to practice in not only our SAAC, but for the entire student body.

AR: The experience was very rewarding and moving, in my opinion. Meeting different people in different roles and from different backgrounds, interacting, and sharing their experiences inspired me greatly and made me feel very proud of my institution. It was very personal but at the same time a very empowering forum. It's very different from any forum I've attended in the past, even though I attended the NCAA Career in Sports Forum in May. This one had a very emotional and intimate impact on me.

JM:  My experience attending the Super Student Athletes Advisory Committee Regional was amazing! Throughout this conference I learned multiple skills such as Leadership, Mental Health activities, and just overall methods to improve SAAC campus and conference wide.

Q2: What do you hope to bring back to Dominican and your respective teams from this conference?
NT: I hope to bring back a higher standard of communication, accountability, and connection to Dominican and to my team. The forum reminded me how powerful it is when people feel seen, heard, and supported, so my focus is to help strengthen unity across our athletic programs and encourage more shared leadership within teams. I want to build a culture where student-athletes feel empowered to contribute, speak up, and take ownership of their experience on and off the court.

LFS:  I hope to bring back a multitude of ideas to cultivate and improve the livelihood of the student-athlete community. There were many activities mentioned with mental health and self-improvement, that we could incorporate to our SAACs to better bond our student athletes. We also brought back ideas to improve our engagement with SAAC meetings and events.

AR: For me, one of the biggest things I want to implement in my teams is many of the team-building and trust-building activities we practice in the forum. The concept is that we all have different perspectives, but that doesn't mean one is better than another; they're just different points of view. I'm very excited to show my leadership identity, which will be based on serving my community. One of the most symbolic phrases from the forum, and one that has become my new mantra, is "If service is beneath you, leadership is beyond you." Besides that, I'd like to introduce my team to the concept that we are all leaders in different ways, and that we all can serve our team in a unique way, we all have something to offer. It's not just the team captains or coaches who are leaders, but every individual on the team.  Also, that kind leadership is more effective than "nice" leadership, and you won't always receive praise from your teammates, not all criticism is a personal attack; it's just other people who care about you and want to see you improve.
"Belief x Evidence = Confidence".  I would love to see my team apply this concept more in the future. Tennis is a sport where it's very difficult to build confidence, since you can lose most of the points and still win your match, and vice versa. But believing in yourself and having evidence of your abilities will always be the way to rebuild your confidence and faith in yourself, not only as an athlete but in all areas of your life.

JM:  I'm hoping to bring back the idea of getting a team psychologist per team to Dominican! We as Dominican SAAC also look to help spread our knowledge on how to get Admin and student engagement to other campuses PacWest wide!

Q3: What advice would you pass along to your fellow student-athletes/peers on attending a personal-development conference?
NT:  My biggest advice to anyone attending a personal-development conference for the first time is simple, show up with an open mind and lean in. The more you engage, the more you grow, so speak in the discussions, ask questions, and be willing to share your story even if it feels uncomfortable at first. These conferences are built around honesty and vulnerability, and the best insights come when you fully participate rather than sit on the sidelines. Go in ready to learn, to listen, and to connect with people who are trying to grow just like you.

LFS: My advice for future students that attend these types of events is to be your most outgoing self. Even though towards the end of the weekend, I was exhausted and needed a social battery recharge, I pushed through to create connections with as many people as possible. I would also say that you should say yes to everything. In my experience, I said yes to going to the Denver Nuggets game with some of the athletes in our conference and that was the highlight of my weekend.

AR: Being honest with yourself,  sometimes this can be uncomfortable and difficult. It's important to do a deep self-analysis and be self-critical, to ask yourself if there are areas where you can improve, and to be open to listening and learning ways to improve as a person. Change is contagious, both positive and negative, and if you are willing to be that person who wants to change to be better every day, then you will be making an impact on your team and could motivate others to follow you.
Also, avoid anticipating what might or might not happen at the forum. Stay present where you are. Don't think about what awaits us on our campuses or personal problems, because being present in the moment will help you get the most out of the experience.

JM:  One piece of advice I'd spread to fellow students on attending a conference like this would be to really engage and put yourself out there with speakers and fellow attendees. Advice for first timers would also be putting yourself out there and creating friendships! Also, listen to what speakers are truly saying on a deeper level.

Q4: How has your time at Dominican and your respective sports teams helped you prepare for this conference? 
NT:  My time at Dominican and on my basketball team has prepared me for this conference more than I realized. Being in a competitive, high-expectation environment has taught me how to communicate under pressure, lead by example, and navigate the ups and downs that come with being a student-athlete. Serving as SAAC President has given me practical leadership reps, from organizing initiatives to working with different groups of people. Those experiences made it easier to step into conversations at the forum with confidence and contribute meaningfully.

LFS:  My time at Dominican has helped me prepare for this conference because since I started attending, I have been able to find and express my authentic self. The people here have supported me and guided me in this journey. So being able to know who I am and my strengths helped me attend this conference.

AR: I was very proud that my university's values were a foundation during the forum and the content presented. Furthermore, when it came time to do an activity about my own values, they aligned with those of Dominican University. It made me feel like I'm in the right place for me.
Also, many of the resources we were provided are things that Dominican has already been implementing for several years, such as training us to handle tough situations better. On my tennis team, all the psychological support we receive from our coaches, from having the necessary resources like keeping performance journals to having ways to channel our feelings in a healthy way.

JM:   My time at Dominican as well as on the Track & Field team has prepared me for the Super Student Athletes Advisory Committee Regional by setting me up with wonderful connections, as well as teaching me practices and experiences dealing with communities of all different backgrounds. At Dominican we also strive to create a strong, "togetherness" community. Heading into conferences like this, I try to bring everyone together because the more we come together as a unit of Division II, the stronger all conferences across Division II will be!