Supporting the Student-Athlete Experience
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by Alumni Council President Eric Fennel ’92
In July, Dickinson welcomed Celine Cunningham as its new athletics director. Celine’s approach to advancing Dickinson athletic success is grounded in her belief that “athletics can impart life skills such as leadership, resilience and teamwork.” Her vision is to create a “student-athlete experience that goes beyond the field or court” to “build a culture that prioritizes personal development, mental health support, leadership opportunities and competitive success.”
In the pursuit of competitive success, student-athletes support each other through triumphs and setbacks. Along the way, they form strong bonds with teammates and coaches that endure long after their athletic careers end. What many of us discover, however, is that this bond extends beyond our contemporaries, connecting us forever with the Dickinsonians who came before us on the field.
Alumni from our athletic teams are among the most engaged and take great pride in supporting the success of the students and programs they once represented. In the fall, several hundred alumni participated in networking events with teams on and off campus. Alumni from the men’s and women’s soccer teams established the Steve Eisenhardt ’87 Men’s and Women’s Soccer Fund, which permanently endows support to both programs. Friends of Red Devil Basketball supports coaches and teams throughout the year with fundraising and recruiting help, as well as through networking, career development, mentoring and other activities. This year, it established the Friends of Red Devil Basketball Fund, which is endowed to support the men’s and women’s teams. It will be celebrating its fundraising success during Alumni Hoops Weekend in February.
The pride that comes with the success of our teams is not felt by the former players alone. In the fall, the entire Dickinson community cheered as the men’s soccer team advanced to the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament. The stands at Dickinson Park were full, and we know many other alumni were watching the livestream of the game. The same weekend, our football team made its first appearance in the Centennial-MAC Bowl Series and Maddie Garber ’25 qualified for the NCAA cross country championships in Terre Haute, Indiana. We are all looking forward to the success that the winter and spring teams have this year.
We encourage you to support our student-athletes. Follow along at or download the Dickinson Red Devils app to see the upcoming schedule and latest results. Attend an event in your area or during your next visit to campus. And consider to ensure we continue to provide the top-tier facilities that attract and sustain successful teams. As Celine noted, “by ensuring that our student-athletes feel supported in all aspects of their experience, we can foster pride in Dickinson athletics”—a pride that will last for generations to come.
Read more from the winter 2025 issue of Dickinson Magazine.
TAKE THE NEXT STEPS
Published March 20, 2025