UW Athletics unveils new Flat Bucky program
November 05, 2014 | Badgers Give Back
November 5, 2014
Madison, WI--Third grade classrooms across the state will gain an understanding of the Wisconsin experience this fall by tagging along with a UW student-athlete-- via Instagram.
A new Badgers Give Back initiative-- the “Flat Bucky” mentorship program-- will pair a UW student-athlete with a third grade classroom to engage with students via the social media platform in an effort to encourage academic achievement and provide insight into the Wisconsin experience.
The program pairs a Wisconsin student-athlete with a third grade classroom for the duration of the school year. Each classroom will create a unique “Flat Bucky” figure for their respective student-athlete to carry with them. The student-athlete will take pictures of their Flat Bucky in a distinct location around campus or while traveling for competition; they will then post the pictures on an Instagram account which their classroom can follow and track. Classrooms are encouraged to journal the adventures of their Flat Bucky and student-athlete throughout the course of their partnership.
The Flat Bucky Mentorship program casts the student-athletes as role models for the children to look up to as examples of achievement, dedication, and hard work. At some point during the year, the classroom will witness their student-athlete dedication first-hand when they are invited to a home game or practice of their student-athlete to meet in person and ask questions.
“I am very excited to participate in the Flat Bucky program,” says Aja Van Hout, a senior on the women’s swimming and diving team. “I hope that elementary children will become inspired as they see us traveling and pursuing what we love most. I can’t wait to share our Badger experience with them.”
Prominent studies on mentorship and its effects on youth have discovered significant advantages to mentorship programs of this nature. According to a study by MDRC, youth who participate in mentorship programs have better attitudes toward school, higher school attendance, and are more likely to attend college. Additionally, Child Trend research revealed that mentorship programs reap gains in children’s academic achievements, social acceptance, and trust in parent figures.
“I think this program will be extremely impactful for all the schools enrolled in it,” says men’s tennis player John Zordani. “It will give us an opportunity to showcase our experiences as Badger student-athletes and hopefully become positive role models for the kids. Having the opportunity to share a little bit of our lives with these children means a lot to me and I think it’s a great way to spread word of our program and what it’s about.”
More than 130 UW student-athletes have signed up to participate in the Flat Bucky program this year.
“I think the fact that 130 student-athletes signed up to participate in the program speaks to the character of our student-athletes and their excitement to engage with area youth and share their passions with them,” said Kayla Gross, UW Athletics Community Relations Coordinator. “Many kids have aspirations of attending college or playing intercollegiate athletics and it is our hope that this program will provide insight into the student-athlete lifestyle and what it really means to be a Wisconsin Badger.”
For more information on the Flat Bucky program, please contact UW Athletics Community Relations Assistant Angela Gilman at agilman@athletics.wisc.edu.
The Flat Bucky Instagram accounts of participating student-athletes are listed below. Fans can also follow the program by searching #FlatBucky.
Men’s Basketball:
1. Duje Dukan: flatbuckyduje
2. Nigel Hayes: flatbuckynigel
Men’s Crew:
1. Graham Mink: flatbuckygraham
Football:
1. Warren Herring: flatbuckywarren
2. Jake Keefer: flatbuckyjake
3. Terrance Floyd: flatbuckyterrance
4. Andrew Endicott: flatbuckyandrew
5. Connor Udelhoven: flatbuckyconnoru
6. Peniel Jean: flatbuckypeniel
7. Leo Musso: flatbuckyleo
Men’s Golf:
1. Thomas O’Bryan: flatbuckythomas
Men’s Hockey:
1. Jack Dougherty: flatbuckyjack
2. Timothy Davison: flatbuckytimothy
3. Corbin McGuire: flatbuckycorbin
4. Chase Drake: flatbuckychase
5. Joel Rumpel: flatbuckyjoel
6. Cameron Hughes: flatbuckycameron
7. Kevin Schulze: flatbuckykevin
8. Eddie Wittchow: flatbuckyeddie
9. Landon Peterson: flatbuckylandon
Men’s Soccer:
1. Nick Jones: flatbuckynick
2. Carl Schneider: flatbuckycarl
3. Connor Revsbeck: flatbuckyconnorr
Men’s Swim & Dive:
1. Jacob Mandli: flatbuckyjacob
2. Austin Byrd: flatbuckyaustin
Men’s Tennis:
1. Michael Sinha: flatbuckymichael
2. Alexander Kokorev: flatbuckyalexander
3. Jose Maria Martin de Oliva Carranza: flatbuckyjose
4. John Zordani: flatbuckyjohn
Wrestling:
1. Connor Medbery: flatbuckyconnorm
2. Rylan Lubeck: flatbuckyrylan
Women’s Basketball:
1. Shannon Malone: flatbuckyshannon
2. Carly Truesdale: flatbuckycarly
3. AnnMarie Brown: flatbuckyannmarie
4. Mikey Crall: flatbuckymikey
Women’s Crew:
1. Brianna Murphy: flatbuckybriannam
2. Morganne Freeman: flatbuckymorganne
3. Eleanor Martin: flatbuckyeleanor
4. Julia Rollins: flatbuckyjulia
5. Lily Hansen: flatbuckylily
6. Sophie Carr: flatbuckysophie
7. Jessica Bowden: flatbuckyjessica
8. Anika Nelson: flatbuckyanika
9. Elizabeth Schoenfeldt: flatbuckyelizabeths
10. Jumana Dahleh: flatbuckyjumana
11. Sonja Liljegren: flatbuckysonja
12. Kate Moy: flatbuckykate
13. Pam Schommer: flatbuckypam
14. Megan Whitehouse: flatbuckymeganw
15. Katie Pickup: flatbuckykatie
16. Gabrielle Simons: flatbuckygabrielle
17. Beth Yudelman: flatbuckybeth
18. Monica Gerber: flatbuckymonica
19. Emilie Johnston: flatbuckyemilie
20. Gretchen Miron: flatbuckygretchen
21. Gillian Cooper: flatbuckygillian
22. Anne Rauschert: flatbuckyanne
23. Beatrix Tobey: flatbuckybeatrix
24. Jennifer Kish: flatbuckyjennifer
25. Agathe Denis: flatbuckyagathe
26. Catherine Rosoff: flatbuckycatherine
Women’s Golf:
1. Kim Dinh: flatbukcykim
Women’s Hockey:
1. Mellissa Channell: flatbuckymellissa
2. Blayre Turnbull: flatbuckyblayre
3. Brittany Ammerman: flatbuckybrittany
4. Molly Doner: flatbuckymollyd
5. Erika Sowchuk: flatbuckyerika
6. Mikayla Johnson: flatbuckymikayla
7. Megan Miller: flatbuckymeganm
8. Jenny Ryan: flatbuckyjennyr
9. Rachel Jones: flatbuckyrachel
10. Sydney McKibbon: flatbuckysydney
11. Annie Pankowski: flatbuckyannie
12. Katy Harding: flatbuckykatyh
13. Katy Josephs: flatbuckykatyj
14. Baylee Wellhausen: flatbuckybaylee
15. Maddie Rolfes: flatbuckymaddie
Women’s Soccer:
1. Kylie Schwarz: flatbuckykylie
2. Molly Laufenberg: flatbuckymollyl
3. Holly Heckendorf: flatbuckyholly
4. Kodee Williams: flatbuckykodee
5. Meghan Ledin: flatbuckymeghan
6. Morgan Taylor: flatbuckymo
7. Bri Stelzer: flatbuckybri
8. Nikki Greenhalgh: flatbuckynikki
9. Micaela Powers: flatbuckymicaela
10. Sydney McGinnis: flatbuckysydneym
11. McKenna Meuer: flatbuckymckenna
12. Becca Harrison: flatbuckybecca
13. Rose Lavelle: flatbuckyrose
14. Marisa Kresge: flatbuckymarisa
15. Cara Walls: flatbuckycara
16. Jordan Blaser: flatbuckyjordan
17. Kinley McNicoll: flatbuckykinley
18. Ali Heller: flatbuckyali
Women’s Softball:
1. Stefanni LaJeunesse: flatbuckystefanni
2. Taylor Berry: flatbuckytaylorb
3. Brianna Flugaur: flatbuckybriannaf
4. Sarah Fonk: flatbuckysarah
5. Ashley Van Zeeland: flatbuckyashleyz
6. Mariah Watts: flatbuckymariah
7. Kelsey Jenkins: flatbuckykelseyj
8. Samantha Arents: flatbuckysamantha
9. Chloe Miller: flatbuckychloe
10. Megan Tancill: flatbuckymegant
11. Marissa Mersch: flatbuckymarissa
12. Maria Van Abel: flatbuckymariav
Women’s Swim & Dive:
1. Aja Van Hout: flatbuckyaja
2. Dana Grindall: flatbuckydana
3. Jenny Holtzen: flatbuckyjenny
4. Madison Blaydes: flatbuckymadison
5. Ashley Peterson: flatbuckyashley
6. Madeline Hazle: flatbuckymadeline
7. Ivy Martin: flatbuckyivy
Women’s Tennis:
1. Kelsey Grambeau: flatbuckykelsey
2. Lauren Burich: flatbuckylaurenb
3. Lauren Chypyha: flatbuckylaurenc
4. Maria Avgerinos: flatbuckymaria
5. Anastasia Tripolskaya: flatbuckyanastasia
Women’s Track:
1. Angela Boushea: flatbuckyangela
2. Allison Woodward: flatbuckyallison
3. Deanna Latham: flatbuckydeanna
4. Brianna Bower: flatbuckybriannab
5. Jane McCurry: flatbuckyjane
6. Lauralyn Rosenberger: flatbuckylauralyn
7. Hanna Barton: flatbuckyhanna
8. Taylor Twedt: flatbuckytaylort
9. Taylor Johnson: flatbuckytaylorj
10. Kennedy Blahnik: flatbuckykennedy
Volleyball:
1. Julie Mikaelsen: flatbuckyjulie
2. Dominique Thompson: flatbuckydominique
3. Haleigh Nelson: flatbuckyhaleigh
4. Taylor Morey: flatbuckytaylorm
5. Tori Blake: flatbuckytori
6. Taylor Fricano: flatbuckytaylorf
