Growing Forward: Investing in People

At first, I assumed the email was a hoax. Does the Office of the Vice President of the United States really email people? Then messages from friends and colleagues started arriving, each of us trying to confirm if others received the same email.

Sure enough, it was real: an invitation from Vice President Kamala Harris to attend a Women’s History Month event celebrating trailblazing women in sports. On Wednesday, March 27, at the vice president’s home in Washington, D.C., I had the opportunity to join women who inspired my journey—pioneers like Billie Jean King and Lisa Leslie. Not only did I look up to Lisa when I arrived at Vanderbilt a few weeks after she, Dawn Staley and others led Team USA to gold in the 1996 Olympics, but my niece recently studied her for a school project, even dressing up as her for a presentation. Sending her the picture I took with Lisa was a cool moment.

The event was one of the most inspiring experiences of my professional life. It reminded me to take a deep breath and reflect on why we do what we do. I’m glad I opened the email.

A little skepticism is healthy when it comes to managing your inbox. When it comes to helping student-athletes reach their full potential as tomorrow’s trailblazers, skepticism and cynicism are neither healthy nor helpful. Now more than ever, we need to articulate what is good about college athletics. We can’t be naïve about the challenges ahead, but we can’t afford to be cynical. We can’t afford not to invest in young people.

I know what it does for people’s lives when you invest in healthy structures and environments. That’s really what we’re talking about—changing lives for the better through sports. We shouldn’t allow ourselves to be persuaded that isn’t a worthy goal. Nor should we concede that growing the person is incompatible with competing for championships.

Vanderbilt’s mission is to bring together the best and brightest and help them grow. We serve that mission if we create the conditions for talented student-athletes to compete for championships. With two national titles and 23 first-round picks under Tim Corbin, the VandyBoys compete today and grow for a lifetime. An aspiring Olympian pursuing an SEC discus title and her second graduate degree, Veronica Fraley is a champion today and a leader tomorrow. This is what happens when you invest in people. Let’s tell these stories.

In preserving what is good about college athletics, I’m all for embracing a modern approach and acknowledging that we need resources to make sure we can deliver on our mission. For example, it is imperative that our department is competitive in the NIL space, and thus we support the efforts of our collective, Anchor Impact. We need people to embrace NIL, just as they continue supporting our ongoing Vandy United efforts. Let’s also show people that a modern approach doesn’t have to be transactional.

Recently, I was fortunate to attend the senior banquet for men’s and women’s golf. The student-athletes honored won’t have the opportunity to train in the enhanced team facilities at Vanderbilt Legends Club, which is days away from becoming Vandy United’s first completed project. But they and all our student-athletes are the inspiration behind Vandy United and the reason our community continues to support it so strongly. We do it for reasons women’s golf All-American Celina Sattelkau articulated beautifully in speaking that night about her Vanderbilt journey from Germany to Nashville.

“I was immediately captivated, not just by the campus, the city or the athletic facilities, but by the way the coaches welcomed me with open arms. I felt an immediate sense of belonging and knew without a doubt this is where I want to spend four—or now five—of the most important years of my life. However, the full spectrum of what awaited me, every challenge and every triumph, was beyond my initial grasp. These moments of highs and lows were what shaped me to be the person I am today on the golf course, in school and in life.”

What we do is still mission-driven. We’re investing in young people like Celina.

After the vice president’s event, I was able to fly home with Mark Byington for his official introduction as our new men’s basketball head coach. Every coaching search is a whirlwind, but you learn to listen for certain things. When Mark told me that Vanderbilt fits who he is, that resonated. He had done the research to know who we are and what we’re about. I’m excited for our fans to see for themselves what one of the game’s innovative minds brings to Memorial Gymnasium. I’m just as excited to see the young men on his team flourish in ways that will serve them for years to come. That’s the mission.

As the school year ends, I’m filled with optimism for what’s ahead: optimistic for graduating student-athletes who will take their Vanderbilt experience into everything that awaits them, and optimistic for what awaits us. As Billie Jean King reminded us during an event I’ll never forget, great things are only possible when you invest in people.

Anchor Down!

Candice Storey Lee
Vice Chancellor for Athletics and University Affairs and Athletic Director