FRESNO, Calif. - Yasmin Roman, a junior on the Fresno State equestrian team, is one student-athlete on campus leading the Team IMPACT efforts and completing a fellowship with the organization.
Roman also serves on the Fresno State Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) as the Vice President. In her involvement with both Team IMPACT and SAAC, Roman looks to educate others about the Team IMPACT organization and encourage them to be a part of the overall efforts to help make a difference in these children's lives.
Roman sat down with GoBulldogs.com to discuss her involvements with the organization, share some memories, and express the importance of getting involved.
What made you want to get connected with this organization and do the work that you are doing?
Roman: "I really enjoy being hands-on in helping people. I think that I tend to find value in based on how I can help other people. My career passions are to become a nurse or go to PA school or something along the lines of the medical field. The kids in Team IMPACT just do it for you every time it's so amazing. I'm super happy I am doing this, it's very eye-opening. I had set goals for myself to be more involved and not just going out this week or that week and just doing something for two hours but more of a long term commitment. Being engaged and giving back. I know how much it means to me and how much it meant to me as a kid to give back to people that I admired. The thought that I can do that for a kid is amazing. I would recommend it to anybody any day."
How is it working with the kids?
Roman: "Our active matches are on men's teams – basketball, baseball and football. The student-athletes on those teams get to do more hands-on experience. At the summit in Boston I got to spend some time with some kids and their parents. I got to hear their experiences with the program. Hopefully our medical outreach and awareness initiatives will help more kids and families apply to participate in the program . As of right now [equestrian] isn't matched, but we would love to be and there are several other teams that have signed up to be matched when the opportunity arises."
What's one thing that you took out of the Boston Summit trip?
Roman: "From a parent, we heard about a bad medical day for her kid. It was a day that the soccer team her kid was matched with had a game and they went out to dinner with the student-athletes after the game. She said that she was overwhelmed and that it was a long day and there was a lot going on with the doctor's appointments that day. She couldn't have asked for anything better than that dinner with the soccer team. The student-athletes made him smile and laugh on one of the hardest days he had had in a really long time. It was so impactful to hear her story on how that has not only helped her kid and her other children but it's also helped the entire family and her. From one of the kids there, we were hanging out with some of the kids and I asked the question "if you could be a superhero, which one would you be?" The kid's first reaction was "can I be a super villain because super villains never lose and I would be able to kill this disease that I have". It made me sad but also helped me understand so much more. Maybe you and I would take that question as a simple 'oh I would be Spiderman' but for a kid that spends time in the hospital and every single day is faced with a disease, that question was not superficial as we thought. It made me understand how many hardships they have to deal with. Those kids were the brightest lights in the room and so open, honest and educated on sharing their medical journey with us. It made me understand so much. There were a hundred of us and he was just one of the brightest lights. You asked him a simple question and it was his honest answer. I wish I could give myself to get that kid out of this situation."
What's one thing that you want people to know to get the word out about Team IMPACT?
Roman: "Definitely the outreach and attendance to events, but also sharing more personal experiences and word of mouth. The more you're involved, the more you learn and understand. I think Team IMPACT has an endless amount of opportunities to learn and everyone can benefit from it. Any form of volunteering can be done on your own, from sharing on social media to recommending the program to families. In the Valley, that's something we need right now. We are for the Valley, and everybody in the Valley is for each other, and this is just another way we can help one another. Some of the biggest things I learned from Team IMPACT is that the most gratifying feeling is when I give a piece of myself to someone else, which allows them to be a better version of themselves. Giving a piece of yourself is something I have tried to do since working with Team IMPACT. Understanding that we're all in, we're all together, this is everybody's journey, it doesn't need to be just one kid or one family's struggle. It's a journey we can take together."
What are some of the things you have done on campus to get the word out and promote the Team IMPACT organization?
Roman: "We just hosted our Team IMPACT annual 5k. I did that with another group of student-athletes here on campus as well as Zachary Ortiz from Associated Students Incorporated (ASI). We hosted a 5k dog walk in Woodward park. We also did a ton of fundraising for that, it was a good start. We also just keep in contact with the student-athletes with the teams that are matched up. Working with them and trying to set up more opportunities to interact. Right now Team IMPACT is trying to become a household name. The majority of what we are doing is around promoting and educating people on what it is. We also are going to go to Valley Children's Hospital and other places to do some medical outreach and find more kids to match teams with."
How is seeing the results of the 5k, how did that make you feel to see the turn around of the event?
Roman: "It's definitely a gratifying feeling to see other people just as interested in the organization as myself and the other staff and fellows in the program. It's still so new so this 5k was a good start, and I'm excited for the future of what we are able to do because I know we will host bigger events and have a bigger turn out. It was nice to hear back from Team IMPACT on how we individualized the event by making it a dog walk because a lot of student-athletes on our campus have dogs. We have participation in other areas as far as some donors and just general fundraising. I'm pretty sure our golf team all made a donation. We are ready for what's next and to keep getting bigger and better. Everyone that was there was truly invested in the organization. The feedback from the student-athletes was nothing short of what we were striving for."