Rio Salado Vice President speaks at MCC Outback Theatre
Stephen Peck
Mesa Legend
Vice President of Student Affairs for Rio Salado spoke to student athletes Mesa Community College (MCC) delivered a powerful message on August 23, 2017 to the athletics programs at the college. Dr. Le Rodrick Terry, Vice President of Student Affairs at Rio Salado College, was invited by Mesa Community College to speak at the MCC Theater Outback. He has an extensive background in athletics. He was a student athlete in his life. He completed his degree and went on to play in the arena leagues.
It was not his athletic prowess that made him what he is today. It is the fact that he finished his degree. Dr. Terry said, “I stayed, I got that degree. I talk about that because I had a responsibility.”
His degree landed him a job with Auburn University as Supervisor of Academic Support for the Department of College Athletics. Under his tenure, he had over 30 NFL Draft Picks, A Men’s Basketball Elite 8 National Invitation Tournament (NIT), 2009 and in Track and Field 26 National College Athletics Association (NCAA) Champions, 13 Olympians and six World Champions, according to his PowerPoint.
Dr. Terry said, “Your passions should not be limited to what you do in an athletic arena.”
The video, which is on YouTube, taken of his presentation to the athletes here at MCC delivers the message of passion, commitment, students in the college. He speaks about life and the drive one should have, because he did not have the best life growing up. He grew up in an impoverished, low achieving school system with drugs and crime happening all around him. Dr. Terry emphasized, “When you stand for something, when you believe in something, sometimes you’re going to have to stand alone.”
MCC gave the student athletes a very straightforward direction by having Dr. Terry speak here.
He is also part of the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD). MCCCD has a very academic driven man as second in command at Rio Salado. The video of his presentation allows students to see this man’s passion and how he wants the best for not just the students in his college, but the students enrolled in MCCCD. Dr. Terry said, “Find that piece of you that you own, and drives you, and motivates you, and pushes you beyond yourself to pursue your dreams.”
Orientation had 350 student athletes attend. The venue has 270 seats and 30-person space of overflow. 50 more were left outside of the initial delivered message. They had Dr. Terry speak more at the following activities, according to Athletic Director John Mulhern.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RT3xQCx0hbg
