ST. JOSEPH, Minn. -- Regan Melz knew being nominated to attend the NCAA's Student-Athlete Leadership Forum was a big deal.
 
But it wasn't until shortly after she arrived in Dallas for the event – which ran from Nov. 20-23 – that the College of Saint Benedict senior realized just how unique the opportunity was.
 
"The first night, one of the speakers told us we were part of the 0.03 percent of the (NCAA) student-athlete population who were getting the chance to do this," said Melz, a defender on the Bennie soccer team who earned a spot on the College Sports Communicators (CSC) academic all-district squad this past fall.
 
"That's when it dawned on me that not everyone gets the chance to experience something like that and I was so blessed to be sitting in that chair."
 
Indeed, Melz and Christian Smith, a junior thrower from The Bahamas on the CSB track and field team, were nominated by assistant athletic director Jon Roesch to be the school's two representatives at the forum, which was attended by 250 student-athletes from across all sports and all divisions in the NCAA ranks.
 
"I was in awe to be able to experience all the different people from all the different divisions we had a chance to connect with," Smith said. "Then there were all the coaches and administrators who were there too. So we were able to get wisdom from people who work in the industry and from our peers at the same time. It was such a surreal moment. I can't even explain the energy and vibes in that place the entire four days we were there. It was pure positivity and overall joy to be part of it all."
 
The theme of this year's program was "Adjust Your Sails," with the aim of equipping "student-athletes with leadership skills and (to) empower them to take on greater responsibilities and apply the lessons learned when they are on campus and out in the world."
 
To that end, attendees heard from speakers, took part in division-specific governance sessions, participated in a community service activity to support domestic violence survivors and were assigned to teams of around 30 student-athletes and two trained facilitators for small-group activities.
 
"There was so much opportunity to connect and network with people," said Melz, an exercise and health science major, who plans to take a gap year after graduating next May before going to physical therapy school with the hope of pursuing a career as a physical therapist and perhaps coaching soccer.
 
"I'm now looking into other conferences I might be able to attend now because of the way this experience sparked interests of mine. As a college athlete, the passion I have for my sport will never leave me," Melz continued. "That's part of why I want to go into physical therapy. But after this conference, I think there may be something more for me to find when it comes to a leadership role. There's a sports career forum in the spring I'd really like to attend. So wherever I go next, it will be really valuable to have had this chance to better understand myself and what I'm capable of."
 
Smith. a biology major on a pre-med track, said she plans to put the lessons she took from the forum to use on the track and field team this season.
 
"I just pray that I can take the things I got out of this opportunity and pass them along, not just to the throwers, but to our entire team," she said. "Hopefully, I can play a role in helping everyone find themselves for who they are. There's so much I think I can give back now and I'm really excited to get started."
 
Both Smith and Melz said it was not an exaggeration to call the experience life changing.
 
"It was transformative for sure," said Melz, a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee at CSB. "I wish everyone could experience something like that. I don't even know how to explain the energy. It's so nice to be surrounded by people with a similar mindset to your own. The whole weekend was just inspirational and motivational in so many ways."