The emphasis on student in the term “student athlete” is widely known. However, the meaning behind this term is sometimes construed differently.
A student athlete is someone who can maintain their grades while performing athletically for their institution. Sometimes the student athlete attains different accolades for their performance like a 4.0 GPA or an award that recognizes academic performance through your athletic conference.
We, as a university, have many of these figures scattered all throughout campus and we take pride in these individuals.
The senior defensive back for the Griffin football team, Christian Carter, is among these student athlete figures on campus but also stands above the rest through his overflowing resume. Considered more of an influential student athlete, Carter encourages his peers by being head of many student-run organizations on campus.
Carter is a sports management major and business administration minor. He will be graduating in the spring of 2016 and is currently a Resident Assistant, a Student Ambassador, the President of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee and involved with FCA. With an impressive resume, Carter is signifying the off-field duties that are equally as important to the on-field duties.
Even with all of these activities in his schedule, Carter has still managed to be a captain of the football team for the past two years.
Carter commented about his involvement in all of his clubs and how valuable it has been for him and said this, “It was very beneficial for me to gain diverse leadership experiences in College as it will serve me well during the next step of life.”
Another aspect that student athletes are known for is volunteering around their community and Carter has not shied away from that. Carter has volunteered for the YMCA, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Blackburn Center, Operation Understanding D.C. and his home church, Emory United Methodist.
The City of Greensburg understands the importance of volunteering in the community as students on the hill, and appreciates the help that Seton Hill students and student-athletes have been giving.
Since the university is trying to move into the community and gain a bigger influence on the city, many student organizations embark on efforts to gain support.
President of the Seton Hill Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) – Carter – is very involved in the Greensburg community by helping out in local schools and interacting with the students.
Another extracurricular activity that adds to Carter’s thorough resume included being nominated Homecoming King this past fall, which was voted on by the student body. There is no question about the accolades that he has collected to earn this position.
As far as football goes, Christian is one of the seven people in his class that stayed all four years to play on the Griffin squad and is a two-year captain. He is a defensive back that has appeared in the majority of games each season all four years. He is truly a leader for the griffins both on and off the field.
A person that has had such an influence on him is head coach Isaac Collins, who has turned around the Seton Hill football program from previous years. “Coach Collins has taught me the importance of consistency in the way you carry yourself and the way you treat others,” said Carter.
For an athlete it is always nice to have a coach like that who can inspire you. Coach Collins had equally nice things to say about Carter. “Christian had a tremendous influence on our team both on and off the field. He was a coach in the locker room and was a great role model on campus for all of our players,” said Collins.
To have a coach-like influence as a player is imperative to a successful atmosphere and Carter has stepped into that role in the last two years.
Carter, the owner of upwards 65 pairs of shoes, resides in the capital of our country and plans to get his MBA in sports management after graduating undergrad at Seton Hill. His favorite memory came this year when the Griffins upset nationwide ranked Slippery Rock mid way through the season by a score of 41-38.
Carter said, “These four years at SHU has been a roller coaster ride full of emotions that I am thankful to have experienced.”
“Christian Carter is the definition of what it means to be a true Griffin. This influential student athlete has made his mark at the school on the hill these past four years and has mentored those around him,” said Christian Strong, teammate and co-editor-in-chief of the Setonian.
Published By: Laramie Cowan