Wake Forest senior forward Olivia Summiel has deftly navigated the offseason by taking advantage of leadership opportunities both on and off the hardwood.
Summiel has prospered in leadership roles with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, serving not just at the campus level, but also with the ACC and NCAA.
She was also tabbed as the moderator for the Face-to-Face speaker series event at Wake Forest featuring the Pulitzer Prize winning author and presidential historian Jon Meacham. That’s not even mentioning being an every-game starter and team captain for the women’s basketball team under first-year head coach Megan Gebbia, who was hired to take over the program in late May.
“It’s been a really busy year, but an extremely rewarding one,” Summiel said. “I’ve had lots of different leadership opportunities, both on and off the floor. I was able to take part in the Face-to-Face event and be a moderator for Jon Meacham. That was a step out of my comfort zone, but I’m so happy that I did.
“He’s a presidential historian and part of the political realm, which is something I’m not as knowledgeable in. It’s not something I’m immersed in day-to-day. It was a different world, but such a rewarding experience. I learned so much and got to know Jon Meacham and learn from his knowledge and passion about what he does.”
Her responsibilities and personal victories with SAAC have been wide-ranging over the last several months.
“My role with SAAC has been a big part of the year,” Summiel said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to be involved at the campus level, at the conference level and at a national level. SAAC has given me the opportunity to meet with and get to know leaders across the country. Division 1 SAAC has been enlightening. I’ve learned a lot.
“This is a chaotic time in collegiate athletics. What a time to be involved in this landscape. A new NCAA Constitution was drafted, and SAAC had a big role in drafting it. That was a rewarding experience to be in those conversations.”
Summiel built some impactful and long-lasting connections after interning in the ACC office during the summer, and she was tasked with helping to plan the most recent in-person ACC SAAC meeting. That group drafted a letter to Congress trying to persuade them to enact federal legislation to better regulate Name, Image and Likeness.
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