Friday, December 14, 2018

Part of a regular series.

Throughout the year, GNACsports.com uses this space to profile conference student-athletes, coaches, and administrators. Collectively, it is these individuals who make the GNAC one of the top NCAA Division II athletic conferences in the nation.

Name: Jessica Harbison Weaver
Institution: Concordia University
Years at Institution: 1
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio

Colleges Attended: Butler University and Indiana University

College Major/Degrees: Bachelor of Arts in media arts and Master of Public Affairs un policy analysis

Why Did You Decide To Work In Collegiate Athletics: I wanted to work in a profession where I could positively impact the lives of others and I am extremely passionate about the power of sport in academics. We're lucky in the United States in that we have amateur sports as part of the collegiate experience.  These athletic events give us a chance to showcase our diverse universities and colleges across our country.

Who Has Influenced You The Most As A Professional - Either As An Inspiration, A Mentor Or Philosophically: I have been very fortunate to have many mentors in my career. My two most influential are Leslie Schuemann with the Heartland Conference and Lynn Holzman at the NCAA National Office. Lynn hired me into collegiate athletics and encouraged me to develop the confidence in myself to grow as a young athletics administrator. I was fortunate to have her as a mentor and someone to bounce things off of when I moved on campus. Leslie was the one who planted the seed for my love of Division II and working with student-athletes at the NCAA National Office. When working with her on the Division II Membership Committee it was instilled in me that we're all part of a team and to value the opinions and experiences of all team members. She also is the one who convinced me to apply for the position at Concordia and to go back to Division II after several years in Division I.

What Does Division II Mean To You: Life in the balance! I was fortunate to be at the NCAA and providing support to the legislative committee when the “Life in the Balance” consent package was moving through the legislative process. I love that Division II is passionate about the whole student-athlete and making sure students can participate in the full collegiate experience while still getting to participate in the sports they enjoy.

Extracurricular Activities: Getting to explore Oregon and all the wonderful places that make up this beautiful state! I also love getting out with my husband and dogs to check out all the local restaurants in the Portland area.

Best Advice You’d Give To Student-Athletes: It's okay to not know what you want to do when you graduate from college. I started in one career and then changed to college athletics. If I had limited myself to what I was planning on doing out of college I'd still be working in television!

If You Could Spend The Day With One Person (Past Or Present), Who Would It Be (And Why): Jean Paul Sartre. I was a philosophy minor in my undergraduate and he was the author of one of my favorite plays. I'd love to pick his brain and discuss "Being and Nothingness" with him.

Favorite Sports Team: The Concordia Cavaliers of course! I also love the Portland Timbers.

Favorite Athlete: Growing up in Cincinnati, Ohio, it was Pete Rose, but as a compliance officer I can't support betting on athletics! As an adult my favorite athlete is Diego Valeri.

Most Memorable Sports-Related Moment: As a Butler University alum, getting to be at the 2010 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship game.  That would be my most memorable moment - although it would have been more memorable if "the shot" had gone in the hoop!