TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University department of athletics is proud to be part of the Black & Gold family on and off the field of competition.  On Thursday, Towson Athletics received three Student Affairs Leadership Awards in recognition of several achievements by various people across the department.
 
The TU Athletes Vote campaign earned the Outstanding Program Award, which recognizes a program "sponsored by a student organization that has significantly impacted campus left and generated substantial interest in the campus community."  Under the leadership of Towson women's basketball associate head coach Zach Kancher and assisted by several students including LaKaitlin Wright among others, TU Athletes Vote got the word out to encourage voting among student-athletes and the Towson student body.  The initiative had several campaigns of outreach, including Tiger Talks online and going out into the community with demonstrations, leading to over 90% of student-athletes being registered to vote for the 2020 elections.
 
Towson student-athlete Brendan Farrar was honored with the SGA Pride Award, recognizing a Towson student who "supports the identities under the LGBTQ+ umbrella and have demonstrated a commitment to advance the rights and acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community on campus."  A member of the men's swimming & diving team, Ferrar is an active member of several initiatives on campus, including the TU Athletics LGBTQ+ Inclusion Work Group, TU Athletes Vote and TUAIDE among others.  He is also a Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) member and is one of the most active contributors for Towson Athletics.
 
Towson student-athlete Derek Gold has earned the James R. Saxon Memorial Scholarship, recognizing a graduating senior who has "demonstrated leadership, service and good citizenship by participating in campus life or contributing significantly to the campus community."  A member of the men's golf team, Gold is the SAAC Vice President for Community Service and also serves as the president of Own Your Roar, which promotes mental health awareness.  Gold helped promote community service through virtual opportunities during the year and expanded communication with student-athletes and the TU Counseling Center.
 
The Division of Student Affairs mission is to cultivate the educational, cultural, social and emotional development of students to become fully engaged leaders and citizens who demonstrate integrity. More information on the Division of Student Affairs can be found here https://www.towson.edu/studentaffairs/about/.