UA recently announced its fourth Game-Changer Award recipient.

Junior Callie Mack is the first self-nominated student to win the “Game-Changer” award. Mack is pursuing a major in marketing management and a minor in public relations and digital imaging.

College of Business Administration (CBA) sophomores and juniors were eligible to submit a one- to two-page essay explaining how they exemplify one or more characteristics, such as a drive to succeed, willingness and ability to take action and become involved, resourcefulness, entrepreneurial spirit, leadership skills and experience and a willingness to try new things.

According to Susan Hanlon, the assistant dean of the CBA and director of undergraduate programs, students were notified via newsletter that they could nominate themselves, or a faculty member could nominate them. Students looking to self-nominate were required to submit an essay. The CBA leadership group, consisting of the deans and department chairs, evaluated the essays and candidates.

Mack, a Minnesota native and member of the UA volleyball team, submitted a three-point application essay in which she explained to the CBA why she is a “game-changer.”

In her essay, Mack highlighted her resourcefulness and mentality while searching for scholarships to graduate debt-free, her willingness to try new things, and her drive to succeed and compete while enduring the labors of being a college athlete.

Out of the eight applicants, “Callie was judged to be outstanding in each of the categories used to evaluate the candidates.  The other candidates were strong in some categories, but not all of them,” Hanlon said.

“I feel like the award couldn’t have come at a better time. It reminded me that I am here for a reason and hard work pays off,” Mack said about her nomination.

Along with being a varsity athlete, Mack is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, an international business honor society; a member of the CBA Leadership Institute; and a collegiate writer for MarketingPersonalization.com.

Mack is also an intern at C.H. Robinson, a transportation and logistics company. Along with her internship, Mack also helped found Zips for Haiti, of which she is the vice president. Zips for Haiti is a University of Akron student organization that tries to engage UA students in improving the quality of life of Haitian students. The organization was formed in March 2015 after a group of 15 students traveled to Haiti through the CBA Global Leadership Initiative and returned eager to continue their efforts.

According to Mack, the organization will be traveling to Haiti in January 2016 and soon after in May 2016. In addition to their travels, Mack and the other members of Zips for Haiti have raised over $3,000 through two fundraisers. The majority of their proceeds go to Haiti.

“In less than a year, we have accomplished all this plus our organization has doubled in size. One day we hope to be able to fund a scholarship for a student in Haiti to study at the University of Akron,” Mack said.

All eight “Game-Changers” will be recognized at select UA football and basketball games throughout their seasons. Recipients will receive a $1,000 prize at the basketball game versus Kent State University on March 4, 2016.