It's all about the students

Giving back to the Roadrunner Scholarship Fund

By California State University, Bakersfield

April 7^th, 2020

Before becoming a ‘Runner on the swim and dive team, Jayssielisa Haynes was not the person she wanted to be. She was a junior in high school, battling severe mental health issues.

Not only did getting out of bed and going to school become daunting tasks, but she almost gave up on the one thing that she cherished most: swimming.

Many student-athletes, like Haynes, have hit rough patches in their lives and need a glimmer of hope.

California State University, Bakersfield is able to provide that for them through the Roadrunner Scholarship Fund.

“When I was in my lowest of lows, I never would have thought that I would be where I am today,” said Haynes. “This life that I am working toward seemed so far away and now I feel it is within my reach. My academic success, athletic achievement and personal growth can all be significantly impacted by the support of a scholarship.”

The Roadrunner Scholarship Fund is more than a tax write-off or even simply a way to give back to the community. For those who give, it’s a chance to connect and become part of the CSUB family.

The Roadrunner Scholarship Fund takes student-athletes to the next level in their academics, athletics and in the community.

As the CSUB ‘Runners transition to the Big West Conference this fall, they have ‘Big Goals’ — and with the Kern County community’s help in raising $1 million, they believe they can achieve it.

“There has never been a more important time to support the Roadrunner Scholarship Fund,” said Dr. Kenneth “Ziggy” Siegfried, CSUB athletics director.

Student-athlete Ally Barber, a women’s volleyball player, said that the Roadrunner Scholarship Fund represents something much bigger than herself.

“It represents the strong community that I am part of and the unconditional support that it gives me,” Barber said.

It has allowed Barber to define herself as a scholar, an athlete and a leader, while also giving her the opportunity to pursue her professional goals.

Local businesswoman Shelly Carlin was a student-athlete herself and now gives to the Roadrunner Scholarship Fund. Carlin works with hundreds of student-athletes across several sports through a non-profit she founded called Sustaining Excellence.

While she didn’t attend CSUB, she was a student at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and knows first-hand how lifechanging a college education can be.

“I think it’s important to keep in mind that this is an investment in our college future. We really won’t see the true benefit of the Roadrunner Scholarship Fund right away,” Carlin said.

Donors, like Clarence Hosey and Gerrie Kinkaid, who have given to the Fund for the past four years, recognize the challenges that come with being a student-athlete, carrying an academic load and competing at the Division I level.

“We appreciate these student-athletes for recognizing the responsibility they carry as representatives of the university and of the community. This plays out in competition, campus life and community service,” Kincaid said.

“Each year, we have received personal notes of thanks from these student-athletes who meaningfully articulate to us the personal impact our giving has made in their lives. This drives us to contribute even more,” Kincaid added. “We are especially interested in ensuring women’s programs are fully funded.”

The recent COVID-19 pandemic might have changed the current landscape of intercollegiate athletics across the nation, with the season being cut short for student-athletes, but the NCAA will now allow the seniors who participated in spring sports to return next year.

“We have an opportunity to allow those student-athletes to continue to advance their education and to make memories,” Siegfried said. “In order to do that, we need to hit our goal of raising the necessary funds to cover the scholarship costs of those student-athletes who we were not expecting to return next year.”

CSUB student-athletes at the 2019 Scholar-Athlete Kickoff

Carlin said the impact will show years down the road, when today’s student-athletes are successful, productive and happy citizens who make their communities stronger and will hopefully give back to help the student-athletes of the future.

“Giving to the Roadrunner Scholarship Fund is an investment in the community and in each individual student-athlete. The Roadrunner Athletics staff members are front and center working tirelessly to grow our athletic programs, attract the best, engage the community and support these students. We are excited to see what the future holds,” said Kincaid.

However you give, one thing is certain: It’s all about the students.

“Bakersfield is no longer just a town I knew from a song, it is home. It is the town that has the people that made my dreams come true. It is the town that I will continue to support and elevate me in the quest of my future dreams,” said Barber.