Join "The Drive to 800"
SAN ANGELO – Andria Nussey is a champion on the playing field and in the classroom thanks in part to the Angelo State Athletic Foundation, which recently launched a membership campaign called “The Drive to 800.”
A contributor to Angelo State's 2010 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field National Championship team and a recent winner in the 800-meter run at this year's indoor national championships, the San Angelo native has earned an undergraduate degree from ASU and is pursuing a master's degree. Her success is not only a result of her talent, strong work ethic and a desire to be successful, but can also be attributed to the scholarship and resources she had access to thanks to generous contributions from the Angelo State Athletic Foundation and its members.
“My scholarship gave me the ability to go to school and not have to have a job. I could focus on being a student and an athlete,” Nussey said. “Being an athlete is kind of like having a job, but it's something you love and a really important learning experience that will benefit all of us later in careers. My experience at Angelo State has been more than I expected it would be. I never ever considered getting a master's degree, but the fact that there was a scholarship for me pushed me to go ahead and do it. I probably wouldn't have done it otherwise and I've really enjoyed my coursework.”
The Angelo State Athletic Foundation is the official fundraising organization of ASU Athletics. The athletic department receives no state funding, so private donations are essential to helping ASU student-athletes, like Andria, compete for conference and national championships each year. Memberships to the Angelo State Athletic Foundation are used to advance championship-caliber athletics by funding scholarships, recruiting expenses, equipment, and programs that enhance the complete student-athlete experience at Angelo State University.
“An expanding support base is critical to our immediate and long-term success,” Angelo State Associate Athletic Director for Development Rob Clark said. “For us to achieve the ambitious goal of 800 Athletic Foundation members, it is going to take a total team effort. We need the great people of San Angelo to step up to the plate and become involved in ASU Athletics. We need our current members and former student-athletes to rally around this campaign by helping their families, friends, community members, and fellow alumni to become members of the Athletic Foundation. Any level of membership makes a difference because participation is the key to our success.”
Current members of the Angelo State Athletic Foundation members recently have helped fund recruiting for all sports, including NCAA Division II national championships in softball and women's outdoor track and field, and helped fund the addition of football coaching staff members.
In 1969, legendary coach and ASU athletic director Phil George established the Ram Club to provide financial support for athletic department needs. Over the years, the Ram Club was responsible for providing thousands of student-athletes the opportunity to receive a great education at ASU and play championship-caliber athletics.
The name of the Ram Club was changed to the Angelo State Athletic Foundation under the direction of former ASU football coach Jerry Vandergriff. Since then and through the continued leadership of athletic director Kathleen Brasfield, Athletic Foundation Board Members, and especially through the continued generous support of donors, the Athletic Foundation has become one of the top annual funds in the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and rivals some annual funds in the NCAA Division I Southland Conference.
“The Drive to 800," is a potentially historic membership effort to drastically increase support for ASU athletics and ultimately enhance the profile of Angelo State University as a premier institution in West Texas. Prior to the drive's kickoff, the Angelo State Athletic Foundation had 132 members and the goal of 800 members would put the Rams and Rambelles in an elite class. In the upcoming weeks of the drive, members of the community may receive emails and phone calls from the Athletic Foundation to join the team behind the ASU teams. For more information about the Angelo State Athletic Foundation, or to join, visit AngeloSports.com and click on “Give to Athletics.”
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