Being CCS Ambassadors for Piedmont means a lot to Charles Parnell and Aliyana Boyd-Feuerstein, as they have both been selected to represent the university.
Parnell, a junior majoring in business marketing and Boyd-Feuerstein, a sophomore majoring in psychology and sociology, were chosen to help represent athletes at Piedmont as a whole. Both students excel in playing sports and representing the university. It is a great honor to be selected to represent all Piedmont athletes united as one.
The CCS Ambassador program is a group of student-athletes who dedicate time to the community through various events, including Mental Health Mondays, Breast Cancer Awareness, Hispanic Heritage Month and more. Student athletes can come to these events to connect and get to know one another.
Both students can really express what it means to be an athlete at Piedmont and share those experiences with other athletes.
For Parnell, it is a fantastic achievement for him to represent Piedmont University as a whole. Charles wanted to be an ambassador to become a better leader and communicator for his team. He is the team captain of the men’s tennis team at Piedmont. For him, this truly helps him gain confidence as a leader and also demonstrates that confidence to other athletes around campus.
“Being selected as a CCS ambassador for my school means the world to me and is truly an honor to be chosen as a symbol or representation of what Piedmont and being a student athlete mean here,” said Parnell.
Being part of a group that helps the community means so much to Boyd-Feuerstein. She shares a similar story to Parnell, too. She is a part of the women’s soccer team at Piedmont. She joined this program to challenge herself as a leader and become more involved at Piedmont.
“While I’ve only recently gotten acclimated to Piedmont, I’ve made great connections with others in our conference. I feel like I’ve become a part of something bigger than myself,” stated Boyd-Feuerstein.
The experience of being school ambassadors has equipped Boyd-Feuerstein and Parnell with essential, lifelong skills. Specifically, they have honed their abilities in effective communication, strong listening and building confidence as leaders.
Being ambassadors involves sharing the Division III message with all athletes and collaborating with fellow ambassadors from other colleges to exchange experiences.
Both athletes hope to share guidance with younger athletes to help support them as students. Parnell and Boyd-Feuerstein hope to inspire other athletes to join and use their voices to make a difference at Piedmont.
