EMORY, Va. – When Emory & Henry College begins the 2012-13 academic year a pair of Wasp student-athletes will hold the highest student offices on campus. Baseball senior Mark Robertson (Roanoke, Va.) and women’s soccer senior Yancey Wilmoth (Old Fort, N.C.) were elected by their peers as student body president and vice president in April and were sworn in at Awards Day.

Robertson and Wilmoth received 43.1 percent of the vote as nearly half of the student body turned out to cast a ballot. Student athletes were well represented in the three tickets as five of the six candidates don the blue-and-gold on various teams. The other student-athletes running were volleyball senior Tessa Burton (Gate City, Va.), football junior Kenton Williams (Madison, Ind.) and softball senior Ashley Ebersole (Maurertown, Va.).

With the rigor in the classroom at Emory & Henry and the commitment required by the Wasp coaches, student-athletes take on a lot of responsibilities without being involved in extracurricular activities. However, many of the College’s campus leaders are members of athletic teams.

“Being involved in both athletics and student government has been an incredible experience the past two years, though not without difficulty,” said Robertson. “It definitely takes some juggling to be able to handle those responsibilities along with my coursework. I've learned so much about myself and about the game from my coaches and teammates, and I've had a lot of fun along the way as well.”

Robertson also sees the benefit of being involved in student government and what it can do for him on campus, in the classroom, on the field and further in life.

“My involvement with SGA has helped me hone my leadership skills, and I believe it has helped me become a better, more mentally tough athlete,” Robertson added. “I wouldn't trade my experiences at Emory & Henry for anything.”

Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Pam Gourley commends Robertson and Wilmoth for their commitment to their education, their classmates and their sports. “Student-athletes show their love for the school through their participation in team sports and they bring the leadership skills obtained on the field to classrooms and meeting rooms,” noted Gourley. “They can’t waste time because they have studies, practices, and games already on their busy schedules.  It’s all about loyalty, dedication, and goal-setting, and these two students show an abundance of all three.”

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photo courtesy of Kim Caudill