Left to right: Kayla Jones, Amanda Ramirez, Nicole Aumack, Katelyn Andres, Gina Fernandi, Ashley Linares, and Dr. Joy de los Reyes

RUTHERFORD, NJ – Felician University’s Women in Leadership spring event titled, Where Would I be Without Sports?, featured a panel of current and former female athletes. They included Katelyn Andres, current women’s basketball player & GA of Residence Life; Nicole Aumack, Director of NCAA Compliance; Gina Fernandi, Head Strength and Conditioning coach; Kayla Jones, Athletics Assistant; Ashley Linares, cross country and track & field athlete; and Amanda Ramirez, lacrosse player and Athletic Communications GA. The topic of discussion included successes, hardships, overcoming injuries, and the importance of sports. This event took place in Ray’s Place on the Rutherford campus and closed out Women’s History Month.

Nicole Aumack spoke about the importance of Title IX in ensuring equity in athletics stating, “Title IX creates equal opportunity for women’s and men’s sports.” When asked about the role that sports plays in their lives, Ashley Linares said, “I can’t even imagine where I would be without sports. I have my support system because of athletics and I’ve been able to push myself and see what I‘m capable of all because of sports.”

The panel concluded after a lively and engaging Q&A among fellow students, student-athletes, faculty, and other university community members.

The Women’s Leadership Initiative Speaker Series is led by Dr. Joy de los Reyes, Associate Professor of Marketing and Management in the School of Business & Information Sciences. For questions or further information, please contact Dr. de los Reyes at delosreyesj@felician.edu.

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About Felician University

Felician University inspires and engages more than 2,100 undergraduate, graduate, and adult education students through programs in the Schools of Arts & Sciences, Business & Information Sciences, Nursing, and Education. Over the past five years, Felician University has ranked 3rd among private institutions in New Jersey for best value according to payscale.com and #1 Safest College Campus in New Jersey according to niche.com. The Master of Science in Nursing program is ranked one of the best online graduate nursing programs in the nation by U.S. News and World Report. Felician University was designated as a Military Friendly School (Gold Status) for the ninth year recognizing its strong support for Veteran students. The university is recognized for its diversity as an HSI (Hispanic Serving Institution) and MSI (Minority Serving Institution), having underrepresented students comprise more than half of the student population. With campuses in Rutherford and Lodi, New Jersey, the Franciscan values of social justice, compassion, and respect for human dignity serve as an inclusive foundation for transforming the lives of tomorrow’s leaders. For more information, please visit https://felician.edu.