By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Mika Costello (Sr., Nipomo, CA/Nipomo HS) arrived at Willamette as a student-athlete ready to compete in the classroom and as a member of the swimming team. Ultimately, she wanted to be involved even more, so she became a representative of the swimming team on the Willamette Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. The SAAC interacts with Willamette University administrators, Bearcat coaches, and Athletics Department administrators, providing important insights from the perspective of student-athletes. Members of SAAC also sponsor and encourage community service and professional development activities for all student-athletes at Willamette.
Costello's work and passion for the success of Willamette SAAC garnered her a nomination and a position as the Northwest Conference representative on the National SAAC for NCAA Division III. She has been a national representative for the Northwest Conference and the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) for the past two years and will serve an additional year after she graduates this spring. Costello is majoring in Politics.
"I first got involved as the team representative for the swim team," Costello recalled. "I had always been interested in leadership and wanted to continue my leadership development. During my sophomore year, I was the secretary for Willamette SAAC, and then just served as the NSAAC Representative for the past two years.
"I was grateful when Mika volunteered to serve as a SAAC representative for swimming," said Leslie Shevlin, associate athletics director and senior woman administrator at Willamette. Shevlin was WU's head swimming coach when Costello first joined the SAAC. "I could tell that she was interested in representing her team and pursuing her own leadership development."
Many projects and accomplishments have been completed by the SAAC at Willamette in recent years. One particular event, Professional Development Night, stood out to Costello.
"I would say that the Professional Development Night has improved into such a fantastic event where student-athletes are able to network with professionals and get experience before being thrown into the professional world."
"Our department also started Monday Night Workshops this year," Shevlin said. "Our very first workshop was led by Mika. She spoke to 35 fellow student-athletes about the importance of finding common ground by reminding them that if we can understand the struggles we go through as student-athletes then we can attempt to understand other things we have in common as well as those things that we do not. We have a common ground to start from."
The SAAC also has participated in community service and fundraising activities. It has become a key part of Willamette's interaction with the Salem community.
Her experiences with the Willamette SAAC led Costello to the National SAAC, where she has continued to be an active leader. She has attended two NCAA conventions because of her national commitment.
"My biggest accomplishment with NSAAC would have to be the work that I have done with the awareness of LGBTQ+ rights," Costello said. "I serve on the NCAA Division III LGBTQ Working Group, and the things we have done with the OneTeam campaign have been incredibly influential within the NCAA. In addition, I brought awareness to the gendered language within the bylaws and brought it up to NCAA President Emmert. Currently, DIII is moving towards non-gendered language, and we're hoping to get it at the DI and DII levels."
As a member of the National SAAC, Costello has expanded her knowledge of intercollegiate athletics and made many friends throughout the NCAA. It has been transformative for her. She has impacted others at the same time.
"From NSAAC, I have learned the extent that student-athletes will go to for their communities," Costello commented. "I would say that everyone on NSAAC is a part of my family, and I know that I can go to any of them for help even though I only see them four times a year. Because of the community that we have built, we can achieve the goals we have in place and come together in times of need. It is also nice to have the SCIAC as our partner conference since we are so far away from everyone else. We have built a bond so we can come together to do great things like fundraiser competitions."
"I served as the Communications Director for NSAAC and led the "Break the Stigma" Mental Health Social Media Campaign," Costello added. "I have also been the chair of the Inclusion Subcommittee. My main goal while on NSAAC and WU SAAC was to make sure that all student-athletes felt included and heard. The NCAA is there for them, so they should be listened to when making policies."
Costello's involvement in SAAC at both the local and national levels has provided her with a great understanding of intercollegiate athletics and jobs within the NCAA and its member colleges and universities. It has been a great way to prepare for her chosen career path.
"While Mika will not be on campus next year, I am happy that she will still have one more year to serve NSAAC," Shevlin said. "Mika has really taken in everything that her SAAC experience has offered her. She is an eloquent speaker who can command a room. She has expanded on what it means to work on a team and has prepared for a career in intercollegiate athletics by networking and listening to those who have been there before her. I am so excited to see where her life takes her."
"Since I plan on working in college athletics, it has set the foundation and created the network for me so that I can continue the work that I started with NSAAC," she said. "I have a different perspective on what it means to be a student-athlete and how much of an impact they have at the national level. I've seen changes happen after student-athletes speak their minds, with the knowledge that I understand how important they are to the system."
