CoSIDA members - Haier will announce eight (8) honorees throughout the year. Nominations closed on Dec. 31st for this year's nominees. In March, you can invite fans to vote online for the
Haier Ultimate Achievement Award winner. The winner will earn his/her school a $5,000 donation to the general scholarship fund and a Haier 48-inch LED HD television. Additionally, all fans who vote will be entered into a drawing to win a Haier 48-inch LED HD TV.
www.HaierAchievement.com
WAYNE, NJ & BLOOMINGTON, IN - Femi Hollinger-Janzen, a senior men's soccer player at Indiana University, has been selected a recipient of the Haier Achievement Award, which ispresented to deserving student-athletes for their accomplishments beyond sports. The announcement of this year's fourth Haier Achievement Award recipient was made by John Homlish, Senior Vice President and Business Unit Leader of Digital Living for Haier America and Doug Vance, Executive Director of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
"The Haier Achievement Award program brings to light those student-athletes who have achieved success beyond sports," said Homlish. "By recognizing eight student-athletes with inspirational stories throughout the year, we hope to further motivate other young people to achieve and succeed both on and off the field. By bringing to light Femi's remarkable story, we hope to inspire other young people."
Femi was born in 1993 a park in West Africa and then abandoned by a young, panicked mother. His leg was deformed, bent into a U-shape, and without the cast that doctors recommended, the prognosis was that he might never walk. With the love of his adoptive family, Rod and Lydia Hollinger-Janzen of Indianapolis, Femi went on to crawl, walk, and eventually run to Indiana University.
In addition to being an anchor on the men's soccer team, he has been an Academic All-Big Ten honoree numerous times, and a Hoosier HEROES student-athlete peer mentor, aiding incoming freshmen in their transition from high school to being Division I student-athletes.
On the field, Femi started his career at IU with a bang, helping to lead the Hoosiers to the NCAA National Championship his freshmen year. In 88 career games he scored 22 goals, including a team leading eight goals and 21 points this past season. The 6-0" 175-lb forward/midfielder was recognized for the second consecutive year as First-Team All-Big Ten. Before arriving at IU, he led Bethany Christian to four consecutive conference titles and was named the 2011 Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year and the Indiana Player of the Year.
"I am honored to receive this award. I am thankful I am able to give back to a community that has given me so much," said Hollinger-Janzen.
Haier will officially recognize Femi with an on-court presentation on Tuesday, January 19th, during the Indiana vs Illinois men's basketball game at Assembly Hall. In addition to awarding him with a plaque, Haier will donate $2,000 to the Indiana University general scholarship fund and award a Haier 48-inch LED HD television to the school's athletic department.
"Femi is a special young man. His life journey has provided him with a positive and optimistic outlook on every new challenge and opportunity that he embarks upon," said Todd Yeagley, head men's soccer coach at Indiana University. "He is always looking to help others and will do whatever he needs to help out a teammate or speak to a young fan. His humility and selfless actions has allowed Femi impact so many lives in a positive way."
Student-athletes from all sports, all schools, and all divisions are eligible for the Haier Achievement Award. Members of CoSIDA and fans can nominate student-athletes at
www.HaierAchievement.com.
Haier announces eight (8) honorees throughout the year and in March invites fans to vote online for the Haier Ultimate Achievement Award winner. The winner will earn his/her school a $5,000 donation to the general scholarship fund and a Haier 48-inch LED HD television. Additionally, all fans who vote will be entered into a drawing to win a Haier 48-inch LED HD TV.
Kelly Thomson (Kansas State University), a junior women's basketball player;
Megan Fish (University of Central Florida), a senior women's soccer player;
Malcolm Mitchell (University of Georgia), a senior football player, and
Emily Fogle (Purdue University) a senior swimmer were the first four Haier Achievement Award honorees recognized this year.
ABOUT HAIER
Haier America (
www.haieramerica.com) is a subsidiary of Haier Group, the world's No. 1 major appliance brand as ranked by Euromonitor International 2014, and a global leader in consumer electronics. Haier employs more than 60,000 people around the world and distributes products in more than 100 countries and regions with global revenues reaching $32.6 billion in 2014.
ABOUT CoSIDA
CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America,
www.cosida.com) was founded in 1957 and is a 3,000-plus member national organization comprised of sports public relations, media relations and communications/information professionals throughout all levels of collegiate athletics in the U.S. and Canada.
CoSIDA has two primary missions: 1) Assist communications and public relations professionals at all collegiate levels with professional development and continuing education, 2) Play a significant leadership and resource role within the overall collegiate athletics enterprise, thus helping other management groups and their respective memberships deal with the set of communications-based issues that is the most complex and challenging in history.