College sports: SUNY Potsdam athletes mentor middle school students through pandemic

College athletes in upstate New York have partnered with GEAR UP through College For Every Student (CFES) Brilliant Pathways to provide virtual mentoring services for GEAR UP students throughout the pandemic. They are helping students learn more about the essential skills of teamwork, agility, resilience, networking, leadership, and goal setting. “This is a great way to do mentoring, whether we have a pandemic or not; it allows flexibility for student athletes,” Mazzella, GEAR UP site director, said. “The students in GEAR UP have a wonderful opportunity for positive engagements with college students to discuss potential career pathways and academic encouragement.”