It's January of 2020. A small group of students gathers for the first meeting of a new organization at DePauw entitled Student-Athletes of Color (SAC), which aims to create a space for student-athletes of color at DePauw to gather and learn about each other and talk about their own experiences. Fast forward to 2024, and that same organization is still alive and well today, but it falls under a new name: Diverse Athletes Association (DAA). The name reflects its members, a far larger and more diverse group than when it began. They have evolved with the student body and revamped their mission statement to not only be a place for student-athletes of color but have expanded this space to include student-athletes within the LGBTQIA+ community, neurodiverse student-athletes, student-athletes in other marginalized groups, and allies. DAA has worked hard to make itself a safe space for all student-athletes on DePauw's campus and has become a place of acceptance, inclusion, personal empowerment, and community.
DAA is a forum for student-athletes from all walks of life and varying backgrounds to come together and appreciate one another for their unique stories. DAA allows its members to feel seen and appreciated for who they are, as DAA Co-President Micaiah Furbert '25 and member of DePauw's baseball team reflects: "My first meeting was the first time I stepped into a room at DePauw, and there was that many people that all looked like me and shared similar identities to me. I wondered why I hadn't been to one of these all year. I wanted to keep having that space to go back to." In a small community like DePauw, it's of utmost importance that spaces like this exist. It can be difficult to feel like you belong in a place where nobody looks like or acts like you. DAA helps to mitigate this sense of isolation by bringing together people of similar identities.
After the switch from SAC to DAA, the board held numerous meetings about revamping their organization and its ideas in their mission to evolve and change. If there's one word to describe DAA over the past few years, it's growth. Numbers and retention rates are quantifiable measurements of growth, but the true progress for DAA is in its programming and its impact on students across campus. Their impact on campus has tangibly developed over the last four years, specifically through word-of-mouth communication. According to DePauw women's basketball player and DAA Co-President Asya Smith '25, "Prospective students are now interested in having lunch with us on campus before committing to DePauw. Coaches are spreading the word when they're speaking to prospective student-athletes. I even had a professor come up to me and ask about the organization the other day. That never would have happened the first few years of us being here (on campus)."
This is largely due to the executive board's work and love for DAA, their commitment to innovation and creativity in programming, and their advocacy for themselves.
DAA has expanded its programming for its members. At least once a month, DAA holds Thursday Thoughts, a roundtable discussion where its members and executive board talk about their identities, what they are going through, and how to have tough conversations with people outside the DAA space. DAA also hosted its second annual Coaches Convening, where coaches from all of DePauw's athletic teams were invited to connect at small group tables with student-athletes of other sports to learn about each other's sports, teams, and personalities. Smith and Furbert were extremely proud of this event, as a focus for them this year is hosting events with quality over quantity. Smith explained, "We want to have two very successful events, one each semester, instead of having 10 or 12 average events. We wanted to thoroughly plan, execute well, and get great feedback." DAA also hosts a kickball tournament in collaboration with DePauw's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and hosted Women's History Month Family Feud last year. All of their programming has the same goal in mind: create a diverse and inclusive community and empower its members to create meaningful change in their communities.
In addition to their programming, Furbert spoke about DAA's recent push to give back and engage with the Greencastle community. "We want to do more community outreach and give back to the community since we're going to be here for four years. We don't want to just take from the community but also be able to give back. Last year, we helped out at Beyond Homeless. This year we are hoping to do a field day with Greencastle Middle School or Elementary School." While DAA wants to create a safe space for student-athletes on DePauw's campus, they have evolved to use the tools they are learning in their own meetings and expand that outside of DAA and to the greater Greencastle community.
DAA has undoubtedly strengthened at an organizational level, but its most powerful aspect is the personal growth it inspires in its members. Through exposure to different identities and the ability to share their own, DAA's members leave DePauw with a greater understanding of other cultures and themselves. Emily Loera, '26, a DePauw's Track & Field team member and DAA member, says, "There's so much more to a person than their outer appearance. DAA gives me that space to learn about different people and their different sports. It helps give that perspective and you learn how to be proud of who you are without letting in negativity. I don't need to hide myself in order to fit in." Not only does DAA provide a space for DePauw students to explore themselves, but it also gives DePauw students a sense of belonging. Furbert experienced this firsthand. "I got hurt in the middle of the season sophomore year and came back after the summer for the fall and then had the same injury happen again. I thought about transferring, but one of the main reasons I stayed was DAA. I felt like I couldn't leave it knowing the impact that I was going to have on other student-athletes and the impact that the organization has was a big reason that I stayed." DAA leaves its members better than how it found them. It encourages people to learn about themselves and find out who they want to become.
DAA inherently is a catalyst for personal evolution. Its members step out of their comfort zones with every meeting and learn something new each time they attend an event. By pushing the boundaries of her comfort zone, Smith has been able to grow into herself and her leadership roles on campus: "I've truly learned so much about myself, and that's been the most fulfilling experience for me. I've been able to learn about everyone else's perspectives from their walks of life and take that back to how I can be a better leader for my team or when I get to the real world, understanding how we're all unique individuals and being able to apply that to be as successful and inclusive as possible." DAA empowers its members to become the best version of themselves in all facets of their lives.
The people involved with DAA sincerely appreciate the organization, and the connections made within DAA go far beyond the confines of Thursday Thoughts or service events.The sense of connection spreads into the classroom, onto the field, off the court, and beyond Greencastle, Indiana. Community is at the core of DAA's work, and by bringing together student-athletes of varying backgrounds, they can foster meaningful connections. These relationships aren't superficial because mutual respect and understanding of each other's diverse identities are at their foundation. Loera loves that at DAA, "I get to talk to sports I don't usually interact with. We have such a variety of sports, and it's nice to see that. If you want a new friend, you can find a new friend."
Smith and Furbert have been a part of DAA since their first year at DePauw, and they want to leave the organization better than they found it. They are hoping to equip the current executive board and general body members with the tools they need to keep DAA's success in the future. With a renewed commitment to its mission statement and service, DAA is constantly pushing itself to evolve and expand its impact on DePauw and the surrounding community. They are a student organization focused on the future empowerment of its members. Stagnation is not a word that exists in the DAA lexicon. DAA strives to push itself every day, making it an enticing and impactful organization that makes its students better versions of themselves and DePauw a better place for its students.
