Waterville, MAINE – Colby Athletics announces Lydia Franks as its Student Athlete Experience Intern, a position made possible by a NCAA Women and Ethnic Minorities Grant.  In her role, Franks will work to maximize the experience and develop the leadership capacity of all student athletes through the launch of a Leadership Development Program, close connection and work with the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and the Student Athletes of Color (SAOC) groups, and communication efforts about the student athlete experience both internally and externally. 

"We are thrilled to be welcoming Lydia to the Colby Community," said Jacqui Schuman, Senior Associate Athletic Director and SWA.  "As we are thoroughly engaged in our work to support, elevate, and communicate the student athlete experience, Lydia is a person who will seamlessly hit the ground running.  Her experience in these areas will provide immediate connectivity to our students and we are excited to continue gaining major ground on the important issues that are present in our students' lives daily while further preparing them as leaders who will thrive in their future careers beyond their time at Colby."

Franks comes to Mayflower Hill from Michigan State University (MSU) where she made the most of her student-athlete experience.  She was a member of the Women's Soccer program and was incredibly active off the field for the Spartans.  Her senior year she worked for the Director of Student-Athlete Career Development, planning the annual Spartan Academic Excellence Gala, organizing community outreach events for student athletes, and worked with the student athlete academic coordinators offering academic support to student athletes to help them find success outside of athletics.  Franks, a member of the MSU Dean's List and Academic All-Big Ten Team her sophomore through senior years, also attended the NCAA Career in Sports Forum shortly after graduation. 

"I am so excited to be joining the Colby staff in this role," said Franks. "I can't think of a better way to start 2021.  My passion is college athletics and working with students to ensure that they have an amazing collegiate athletic experience."