From Caribbean News Now

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados –The US embassy in Bridgetown hosted a series of workshops in Barbados, Grenada, and Antigua focusing on the recruitment process for student athletes aspiring to study and play sports at US colleges and universities.

Susan Whipple, assistant director, Office of International Education at Marquette University, was the facilitator of the workshops and worked with coaches, guidance counselors, and student athletes and their parents to demystify the process.

Whipple provided a thorough overview of student-athlete admissions protocol, and shared inside tips on the admission office’s decision-making process. These workshops were critical and timely, as the dual admissions process awaiting student-athletes is often complex, lengthy, and regulation-laden.

Student athletes attending the session in Barbados also had the opportunity to hear from co-presenters Anicia Wood and Richele LeSaldo, two former student athletes. They spoke about their experience navigating the admissions process and their overall experience as student-athletes in the United States.

US ambassador to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean and the OECS, Linda Taglialatela, commented on the program, “We decided to host this series of workshops after recent reports from Embassy Bridgetown’s regional EducationUSA advising team confirmed that there is an increasing demand for student-athlete recruitment information throughout the Eastern Caribbean region. We hosted the program to demystify the dual admissions process, and provide participants with a more holistic view of the challenges and opportunities that await this region’s aspiring student-athletes.”

IMAGE: Susan Whipple (far right, standing) makes her presentation to student-athletes in Barbados. Seated are co-presenters, former student-athletes Richele LeSaldo (left), and Anicia Wood

For more on this story go to: http://wp.caribbeannewsnow.com/2017/12/05/us-embassy-hosts-educationusa-student-athlete-recruitment-workshops-eastern-caribbean/