Women's Tennis

Danielle Slonac Earns Great Lakes Bay Region YWCA Emerging Leader Award

Posted: Mar 22, 2018

SAGINAW -- Saginaw Valley State University senior Women's Tennis student-athlete Danielle Slonac has been honored as a YWCA Emerging Leader Honoree for the Great Lakes Bay Region. Slonac was honored as part of the Award Ceremony on Wednesday, March 21 at the Horizons Conference Center in Saginaw.

The recipients of the award is a woman between the ages of 18-15 who demonstrates emerging leadership skills and has exhibited through her character, accomplishments and activities, a philosophy of empowerment of women and commitment to the community. Four awards are presented annually to only one student from each of the four regional Institutions of Higher Education: Saginaw Valley State University, Central Michigan University, Delta College and Northwood University.

Slonac, who is in her final season competing for the Cardinals, has been the epitomy of servant leadership and is a role model for the SVSU Women's Tennis team, Athletic Department, College of Business Management and for students throughout the University.

Aside from maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA as a triple major in finance, business management and supply chain management, Danielle has been very active in her volunteer endeavors as well. She serves on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and its Make-a-Wish subcommittee, doing so for all four years. Slonac has also volunteered during Breast Cancer Awareness Week, taken part in the Community Dream Day, where the Tennis team painted a shelter house, free SVSU Community Youth Day tennis clinics, and has taught tennis in gym classes at Arrowwood Elementary in Saginaw Township. In the College of Business and Management, she serves on the executive board of the dean's Student Advisory Council.

She was honored with the 2017 ITA/Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award as well, which recognized outstanding individuals at the regional and national levels that have exhibited outstanding sportsmanship and leadership as well as scholastic, extracurricular and tennis achievements. Danielle was the award winner for the entire Midwest Region.

SVSU Head Coach Jenn Boehm on senior Danielle Slonac...

"Danielle places the needs of others above her own. On the tennis team, she is someone that everyone on our team leans on for support on and off the court. She tutors teammates with their classes, counsels them on school-related and personal matters, and passionately supports them during team competitions. Danielle competes, not for herself, but for the team. As a coach, I can always count on her to be thinking several steps ahead and she is my "go-to" for getting things done. Her impact on this team is immeasurable as she continues to raise the bar of what it means to be a successful student-athlete.

I have watched Danielle emerge as a leader. As a freshman, she set a tone for our team in terms of responsibility and accountability. Now as a senior, her confidence has blossomed and her ability to lead by example has really set a new standard on our team, which is achieving unprecedented success. This is not a coincidence.

Opposing players and coaches respect Danielle for her character and integrity on and off the court. In 2017, she was selected to receive the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award for the entire Midwest region. This is a tremendous honor within the tennis community."

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