BATON ROUGE – The LSU Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes (CCACSA) recognizes student-athletes for their scholastic and community achievements each month. Student-athletes are chosen based on their commitment to academic success and for their devotion to volunteerism and service to the community.
Here are the March 2024 CCACSA’s staff Student-Athletes of the Month:
Hannah Bellina
Senior, Kinesiology, Women’s Swimming & Diving
Reason for nomination: I have had the pleasure of working with Hannah over the past three years and she has been a great addition to not only her team, but to the Student-Athlete population as a whole. Hannah is conscientious, studious, and has done a great job of managing the challenging demands of the Human Movement – Pre-Med program and her responsibilities as a Student-Athlete. Hannah has also taken opportunities to assist with the onboarding of new additions to the roster and has gone out of her way to assist in helping with their transition. We are very excited about her upcoming graduation this May and are proud of the efforts she put in to pursue her chosen major and compete at a high level!
Nominated by: Jason Shaw, Director of Academic Affairs
DJ Chester
Freshman, Information Systems and Decision Sciences, Football
Reason for nomination: In the realm of academics, DJ consistently demonstrates exceptional dedication and commitment. He works hard in sessions and advocates for himself, often coming in for extra time with GAs or advisors. What sets DJ apart is his ability to seamlessly integrate his academic pursuits with his athletic commitments. Despite the demanding schedule, he manages his time effectively, ensuring that his academic responsibilities are never compromised. He not only pushes himself to achieve his academic goals but continuously encourages his teammates to do the same.
Nominated by: Football Academic Team
Jere Hribar
Freshman, Finance, Men’s Swimming & Diving
Reason for nomination: Jere arrived at LSU in Fall 2023 as an incoming freshman international Student-Athlete. Jere jumped right in and put effort forward on day one to try and be organized and work to get assimilated to the university and competing at a high level for LSU. We have been very impressed with his willingness to learn, his follow through, and his organization. Jere took it upon himself to assist other international Student-Athletes in his time at LSU and help them in their transition to LSU as well which speaks a lot to his character and the type of individual he is. We look forward to continued success on his end!
Nominated by: Jason Shaw, Director of Academic Affairs
Ashton Stamps
Freshman, Sport Administration, Football
Reason for nomination: Ashton has shown time and time again that he is willing to put in the work necessary to perform well academically. He is always on time or early and is willing to stay in the Academic Center extra, he is respectful to all those that he interacts with, and he continues to go above and beyond inside and outside of the classroom. Ashton’s academic skills have grown tremendously throughout the semester and his communication has been not only proactive, but reliable as well. We are very proud of the hard work and dedication that Ashton continues to show on a daily basis and are confident that he will only continue to improve his academic performance as he advances in his collegiate journey!
Nominated by: Football Academic Team
Maya Tahan
Graduate Student, MBA Program, Women’s Tennis
Reason for nomination: Maya arrived at LSU in Fall 2023 as an international graduate transfer student with plans to pursue an accelerated one year Masters in Business Administration graduate program. From the start, Maya has displayed a willingness to work hard and has done a great job in terms of organization, communication, and managing the balance of being a graduate student on top of competing and having a heavy travel schedule as a Student-Athlete. Both Maya and her teammate Maria are phenomenal examples of great people, outstanding athletes, and awesome students. We have been fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Maya during the 2023 – 2024 academic year. We are very excited about her upcoming graduation this May!
Nominated by: Jason Shaw, Director of Academic Affairs
Aran Teixidó Garcia
Graduate Student, MBA Program, Women’s Tennis
Reason for nomination: Aran arrived at LSU in Fall 2023 as an international graduate transfer student with plans to pursue an accelerated one year Masters in Business Administration graduate program. From the start, Aran has displayed a willingness to work hard and has done a great job in terms of organization, communication, and managing the balance of being a graduate student on top of competing and having a heavy travel schedule as a Student-Athlete. Both Aran and her teammate Maya are phenomenal examples of great people, outstanding athletes, and awesome students. We have been fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Aran during the 2023 – 2024 academic year. We are very excited about her upcoming graduation this May!
Nominated by: Jason Shaw, Director of Academic Affairs
Accountability – Commitment – Success – Integrity – Diversity – Teamwork – Service – Education
It is through living the values of the Total Team Commitment 2017-2022, particularly education, academic success, and service to the community that six student-athletes are recognized as Cox Communications Academic Center Student-Athlete of the month. These values are fundamental to the growth and development of our student-athletes as they enter to learn, then leave to serve.
The Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes is a 54,000 square-foot facility composed of teams for academic affairs, student affairs and information technology, who annually serve more than 500 student-athletes. The purpose of the CCACSA is to provide an all-inclusive, student-centered support structure for all student-athletes from matriculation, through graduation, and life beyond.