Track student-athletes Alyssa Duhart, a senior, and Jonathan Jones, a graduate student, were selected earlier this season as team representatives on the Texas Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

Texas SAAC provides for student-athlete voices to be heard within athletics and the UT community with the hopes of changing and improving the student-athlete experience. Jones and Duhart both look forward to the opportunity to speak for and represent their team.

“Being on this committee and being a representative for my team is definitely a privilege,” Jones said. “This team is really close-knit and family oriented, so if I see someone going through something, I think we can change that.”

Representing a team with such a tight bond is something that also resonates with Duhart. The distance runner said she cherishes the chance to have a voice on the committee, and she especially hopes to connect with the UT community during her time as a representative

Duhart seeks to break down the barriers and stereotypes between student-athletes and students at Texas. Hosting events where people can engage, whether they’re an athlete or not, is something Duhart wants to see happen as a representative.

“I know sometimes the student-athlete world can be separate from a regular student at UT,” Duhart said. “It would be powerful to combine those worlds together and see what we can do within our UT community as a whole.”

All students should be treated equally, Duhart said, and she believes that being a student-athlete should not give her a special pedestal. She said that often, people value her as an athlete without taking into account the rest of what makes her human.

“Everyone just values you as ‘the athlete,’ when really, I don’t want all my eggs in the basket of ‘the athlete’ when I’m so much more than that,” Duhart said. “I want to be just as equal as any other student.”

While Duhart reaches out to the community, Jones’ goal for this year is to improve the well-being and mental health of his teammates and the athletics department. Jones advocates for mental health awareness and believes that all athletes should see a therapist at least once while in college. In his four-plus years at Texas, Jones recognizes how difficult balancing the student-athlete life can be.

“People think we have a silver spoon because we’re athletes, but at the same time, the stress that comes with being an athlete is so immense,” Jones said. “I was hell-bent on not needing a therapist, but to some extent, as an athlete, I feel you should go in and consult with them.”

Getting in the rhythm of seeing a therapist is essential to becoming a better student-athlete and improving one’s mental health, Jones said.

“You might not hit it off the first time, but at least you get something off your chest,” Jones said. “And then you can train a little better, and that might encourage you to go back again.” 

Whether within athletics or through community outreach, Jones and Duhart are determined to improve the student-athlete experience at Texas. The two set out to demonstrate their leadership on the SAAC and strengthen the community as a whole.

“I think leadership isn’t necessarily a role, but a behavior, so I behave like a leader naturally,” Duhart said. “I want people to know that no matter what you do within UT, it doesn’t diminish or heighten your value and your voice.”