For AFH University, the culmination of the academic year isn’t just marked by final exams and graduation ceremonies. It’s a time to honor the dedication, skill, and spirit of our student-athletes, coaches, and valued community partners who have consistently come together to make their communities stronger over the last year.
In April, we were proud to host two events to recognize these groups in the Baton Rouge and the Greater Washington, D.C. Area communities! Check out the recaps below and join us in congratulating each campus in all of their amazing work this year.
Keep an eye out for our AFH University National Student-Athlete & Team of the Year Awards voting campaign in early June!
Teams of the Year
- LSU Men’s Tennis
- Southern Bowling
- Georgetown Women’s Rowing
- Howard Women’s Lacrosse
- Bowie State Track & Field
Student Athlete of the Year
- Madison Martin, LSU Volleyball
- Cailan Gatlin, Southern Soccer
Coach of the Year
- Kerry Mulligan, Georgetown Women’s Rowing
- Alexis Joseph, Howard Women’s Lacrosse
- Amandji Goito, Bowie St. Track & Field
Community Partners of the Year
- The Walls Project, LSU & Southern
- Grassroots Health, Georgetown University
- Bowie St. Nutrition Lounge, Bowie State
- DCPS Brightwood Elementary, Howard University
AFH University Baton Rouge | LSU & Southern University
On Thursday, April 11th the Athletes for Hope University team in Baton Rouge gathered to celebrate the remarkable achievements in service of student athletes from Southern University and LSU. We used the evening to shine a light on those who not only excelled on the field or court but have also demonstrated an unwavering commitment to serving the Baton Rouge community. The celebratory event was a testament to the power of sport to unite us, inspire us, and drive positive change. According to AFH Southern intern, Ashante Gatlin “Our role and impact in the community are beacons of light for fans and young aspiring athletes.”
Our Student-Athlete of the Year awardees have engaged in several initiatives throughout the 2023-2024 academic year. Cailan played a pivotal role in our inclusive 9/11 Arc events, assisting with ensuring emergency preparedness activities were informative yet fun for youth.
She dedicated numerous hours volunteering at institutions like OLOL Children’s Hospital, BR Food Bank, St. Vincent De Paul, and The Walls Project.
“Doing service in the community is super important because we should take every chance, we can to better the environment that we all live in. Receiving this reward today means a lot to me because it tells me that all of the work, I’ve put into volunteering has not gone unnoticed.”
– Cailan Gatlin, Southern Soccer
Madison Martin, LSU Volleyball team, has also been at the forefront of community service initiatives in Baton Rouge. She participated in on-campus service socials, MLK Day of Service, and A Night to Shine, among others.
“Receiving Athletes for Hope Student Athlete of the Year is such an incredible honor, as service means so much to me. Baton Rouge has become my second home, and being able to serve this wonderful community has made my time at LSU so much more meaningful. Being recognized by Athletes for Hope for what I love to do off the court is an amazing honor.”
-Madison Martin, LSU Volleyball
Our partnership with this year’s recipient of the Partner of the Year award, The Walls Project has been our most enduring collaboration to date, spanning several years of engagement with student athletes actively participating in local initiatives such as MLK Day since 2015. In 2021, we dedicated a mural in remembrance of September 11th, a tribute now displayed at Fire Station 11 on Highland Road.
AFH University Washington, D.C.-Area | Bowie State, Howard & Georgetown
On Thursday, April 25 the Athletes for Hope University team in Washington DC gathered to celebrate all the wonderful work that was done during the 2023-2024 school year. Not only were the student-athletes of our DC schools actively involved, but the coaches also played a large role in getting involved as well. This event was meant to celebrate the passion and commitment of the student-athletes and coaches in the DC community.
Our Teams and Coaches of the Year at each of the schools consistently engaged in service within the community. Georgetown Women’s Rowing focused on park clean-ups in Washington DC and the surrounding area. Their coach, Kerry Mulligan, was integral in leading the team and encouraging them to get out and volunteer. Howard Women’s Lacrosse spent the entire spring semester putting on CHAMPS sessions at DCPCS Brightwood Campus. The team and their coach, Alexis Joseph, went twice a week for the entire semester to spend time with the kids and team them our CHAMPS curriculum. Bowie State Track & Field was the school’s most active team, participating in panels, workshops, and volunteer opportunities throughout the Bowie community. They actively worked on projects supporting food insecurity by attending an MLK Day event with the Bowie State Nutrition Lounge where they packed over 1,300 meals for families in the community.
This year’s Washington DC Community Partners of the Year showed why the work we do matters. Grassroots Health, Bowie St. Nutrition Lounge, and DCPCS Brightwood were all steadfast partners to AFH U. Each organization welcomed our student-athletes and encouraged them to continue coming into their programs. We look forward to our continued work with all of them.
