Nominate your mentor for a 2017 Horace Moody Award

Do you have a mentor who’s inspired your interest in the field of collegiate recreation? Do you know someone who continues to deepen your commitment to the students you serve? Someone who embodies the following quote by John Quincy Adams: “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.” If you answered yes to any of those questions, I have one more for you: are you looking for a way to say thank you?

Consider showing your appreciation—and celebrating your mentor’s commitment to developing the next generation of leaders—by nominating them for a 2017 Horace Moody Award! The deadline to submit a nomination is November 15.

Region II 2016 Horace Moody Award recipient Kelly Ator, Events Coordinator at Clemson University, says, “I love the concept of this award because it empowers students who have been highly impacted by a professional to publicly acknowledge and thank them, which everybody can appreciate. So many times students feel like they don’t have the power or resources to fully show their mentors how appreciated they are, and that’s exactly what the Horace Moody Award is about. It’s a constant circle of giving back and positive energy.”

Parker Anderson, Intramural Sports and Club Sport Supervisor at San Diego State University, nominated Aaron Hobson, Associate Director of Facility Operations at the University of Florida, for the Region III 2016 Award. Aaron has “had a huge impact on my development and I felt he deserved some recognition for his role,” says Parker. “He got me into this field and has largely kept me in this field through his many words of advice and encouragement.”

Aaron says, “To receive an award in which the nominations and selections are conducted by students alone far outweighs any other award one can receive. I am truly thankful for Parker Anderson nominating me for this award. In his nomination letter Parker noted how thankful he was to have worked for me, but little does he know I am the one who is thankful to have worked alongside him.”

Every year, Horace Moody Awards are presented to six NIRSA professional members—one from each of the six NIRSA regions. Recipients will be announced during the Student Member Connection Meeting held at the 2017 NIRSA Annual Conference & Recreational Sports Expo taking place in National Harbor, Maryland from February 21–24.

Jason Incorvati, 2016 Region I award recipient and Associate Director for Intramurals and Sport Clubs at the University Massachusetts Amherst, knows that being a professional in collegiate recreation means developing future leaders. “As a professional my job stopped being about me long ago, but receiving the Horace Moody Award was a very special moment coming from my former students,” says Jason. “It validated much of my work for the past 11 years and will continue to serve as a reminder on my office wall that what we do in collegiate recreation matters. My nominators know that their time at UMass is over, but I will always be only a phone call, text, or email away.”

This opportunity to honor the outstanding professionals who have made significant contributions to student development within your community ends on November 15—so nominate your mentor for a 2017 Horace Moody Award today!