W&M Athletics has announced the hiring of Jasmine Perkins as the department's first Assistant AD for Student-Athlete Development this afternoon. Perkins will be responsible for the launch and management of an innovative program, called Excel, which will be focused entirely on the holistic development of our student-athletes.
In the role, Perkins will be responsible for developing partnerships across campus and throughout the alumni and fan base, focusing on three main areas – career preparation, leadership development, and community service.
While the individual athletics teams are actively engaged in many of these areas already, the intent of the Excel initiative is to enhance and expand on those efforts by organizing the interactions on a department level.
Perkins, who was on women's basketball coach Erin Dickerson Davis' staff for the 2022-23 season, will be the first Tribe senior administrator to focus strictly on student-development.
"With our new EXCEL program, we will strive towards a level of support for our student-athletes that better matches the commitment they make to W&M every day," Tribe Director of Athletics Brian D. Mann said. "This program will follow every student-athlete from their entry into the university to the day they walk across the commencement stage and beyond.
"The addition of Jasmine Perkins as the leader of our EXCEL initiative is an outstanding way to launch our program. Her familiarity with the university and the challenges facing our student-athletes are outstanding assets, plus her enthusiasm for EXCEL and its possibilities make her the perfect person to begin implementing the initiative."
Among her new job descriptions are:
- Communicate with campus partners and department leaders to create a curriculum for holistic personal growth, leadership, community engagement and career preparation.
- Work with university programs and implement orientations specific to first-year and transfer student-athletes.
- Develop, coordinate, and document student-athlete outreach and service projects.
- Coordinate and promote educational programming relative to the student-athlete experience.
"It's a new role, and I'm so excited to see where it takes me," Perkins said. "William & Mary already has great resources and now we have a point person to give student-athletes more access to what William & Mary has to offer."
The position would not have been possible without the vision and support Bruce Christian '73 has committed to the Excel program. Christian has a long history of service to the university, as he has served on numerous William & Mary boards and committees. He and his family have supported a diverse set of interests on campus and this project attracted his interest.
"I wouldn't consider myself a traditional athletics donor," said Christian, who received W&M's prestigious Alumni Medallion Award in 2013. "But from the first time I heard Brian Mann speak about the Excel program and its goals I was interested in becoming involved. I am thrilled to help the department reach these lofty goals in providing our student-athletes with a holistic experience in their time on campus that helps them grow as scholars, athletes and humans."
What's more, Perkins shares his enthusiasm.
"William & Mary has so much to offer and it's important to take advantage of that," she said. "I'm grateful that William & Mary understands the need for this role. I'm glad our athletics administration sees this as something that's important and beneficial to the student-athletes."
Perkins stresses she has ideal leaders in her new role.
"Knowing I have the support and guidance of senior staffers, like (current Senior Woman Administrator) Peel Hawthorne is a great asset," she said. "Just being under really good leadership is important to me, and I think their leadership speaks volumes. I'm glad I can be a part of this leadership team."
Perkins is a 2019 graduate of Bryant University, where she played on the lacrosse team. She earned her master's in professional studies in sports industry management at Georgetown in 2021.
