DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Nov. 20, 2024) – Mercy University baseball senior Connor Ruland (Islip, N.Y./Islip) has been selected to attend the 2024 NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum, to be held from November 21-24 in Charlotte, NC. Ruland is one of three student-athletes from the ECC to be selected to attend the conference.

Created in 1997, the NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum has served as a life-changing experience for more than 5,000 student-athletes who have grown personally and professionally as a result of their attendance.

Student-athletes selected to attend the forum return to campus with invaluable leadership skills, a refined understanding of the relationship among personal values, core beliefs and behavioral styles, and the support of a close personal network of like-minded peers to provide continued connection and dialogue after the program concludes.

This best-in-class programming experience serves as a transformational opportunity for student-athletes and administrators to build a leadership toolkit and develop vital self-awareness that allows them to realize their potential.

"I'm most looking forward to meeting new people from other schools and having the chance to learn new skills so that I can bring them back to Mercy to use and teach to others," said Ruland.