Christopher Newport’s P.A.S.S outreach program epitomizes the true meaning of student-athletes working in the community. Their contributions to the community and public schools are inspiring. They take pride in representing Christopher Newport University, in a positive way, both on and off. P.A.S.S. is an acronym for Partnering Athletics with STEM in Schools. On March 29th, I conducted interviews with the program’s director Roland Ross and two volunteer student-athletics. I interviewed them separately asking questions about the program’s start, goals, and future development. Mr. Ross began with their recognition awards from the City of Newport News and a national award nomination by Jostens. He said the P.A.S.S. program is effectively engaging at-risk youth in the public school system in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. He credits the cooperation of the university, the school system, family support, and community organization for the program’s steady improvement and maintaining goals. The goals he speaks of are driven by his passion for strong youth development and his dedication to student success. The program is led by student-athlete volunteers.
