SE: Shankar, Jones Ready to Represent K-State at National Level
Oct 26, 2021 | Sports Extra, Athletics
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Tejaswin Shankar's written essay began with the high jump national champion recounting a conversation with Kansas State head track and field coach Cliff Rovelto at the end of his freshman year in Manhattan. Shankar, a native of New Delhi, India, set the Indian national record in the indoor high jump, and he became the fifth freshman in history to win the outdoor high jump at the 2018 NCAA Championships. So, he was surprised at the conversation with Rovelto following his highly successful first year.
"Coach called me into his office and said, 'You have a 2.0 GPA,'" Shankar recalled. "I thought that being a national champion was enough. Coach said that my grades my freshman year didn't reflect myself as a person. He told me success shouldn't be limited to one aspect of life, but rather it should trickle down to all aspects.
"The way that Coach explained it to me, it stuck with me. Since then, I've applied that principle to everything I do in life, and not worrying about how talented I might be in one thing, but rather embracing the process. I don't know if Coach thought that conversation would stick with me like that, but I made a 180-degree turn. Since then, I've really committed myself to every aspect of my life and it's also helped me improve in track. This was a great opportunity for me to share my story."
Today, Shankar is a 3.5 GPA student who earned his bachelor's degree in accounting and finance and is currently working toward earning his master's degree in accounting in May 2022. Shankar, a six-time All-American who has won one NCAA Championship and five Big 12 Championships, is also one of the most highly decorated collegiate track and field athletes in the legendary career of Rovelto, who has coached 17 Olympians in his 34 years at K-State.
"My dad is definitely the first leader I ever looked up to no matter what," Shankar said. "The second person is Coach. Coming to K-State, I just wanted to be the best high jumper I could be. Now when I leave K-State, I believe that I'll be a better human being and that's more important to me now than being the best high jumper. You should be somebody of high integrity and that's something that's always going to stay with me.
"Those two people are the two most impactful people who've been in my life."
Hari Shankar taught many values to his son in New Delhi, India, before his passing in 2014.
"When you think about leaders, they're always in the front of the line, but my father always told me that a true leader is always with the people who are in the back of the line because they're the people who actually need the push," Shankar said. "Front-of-the-line people don't need the push because they're already motivated. If you walk with the people in the back of the line, that's what separates you from the people in the front, and, ultimately, it's not about one person.
"When I came to K-State, I said, 'I want to be this,' but now it's more about, 'How can we be the best.' Those are some qualities that my father talked about all the time. At the time, I didn't understand it, but now I'm starting to reflect on those qualities more."
Shankar explained his personal, academic and athletic path to success in a 1,000-word essay, which he attached to his application and academic transcripts to be considered for selection to the 2021 NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum, which will take place November 18-21 in Houston, Texas.
Created in 1997, the NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum is touted as a life-changing event. More than 5,000 student-athletes have participated in the four-day affair to learn invaluable leadership skills, a refined understanding of the relationship among personal values, core beliefs and behavioral styles, while gaining the support of a close personal network of like-minded peers — many of whom become lifelong friends.
The NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum is also highly competitive. Each Division I conference selects one male and one female student-athlete from among its active member schools, so mathematically the chances of being selected to the forum are slim. So, imagine the look upon the face of Julian Jones, K-State's assistant athletic director for student-athlete development and chief diversity officer, when he learned that the Big 12 Conference selection committee elected Shankar as its male representative.
"We were at NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis, and I tried not to be too excited because other colleagues in the room had student-athletes who weren't selected," Jones said, "but I knew this was a major thing."
Jones, too, had another reason for celebration. As an NCAA intern in the office of inclusion in 2016-17, Jones had previously played a role in the NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum. He served as a group leader, or "color team" leader, who aided the group's facilitator. Later, Jones participated in a facilitation workshop in hopes of serving as facilitator at a future date. Athletic administrators from across the nation apply for the honor of serving as one of many facilitators for the group of 500 student-athletes at the forum.
This year, Jones was invited to apply and was selected to the prestigious role as facilitator. In October, he completed a one-week training course in Indianapolis ahead of the Houston event.
"I'm excited for this opportunity because (the forum) is what started my career," Jones said. "The people I met there are people who helped me get into the door. I'm excited to get back (to the forum) in another way. I'm more excited that TJ got selected. I don't think there will be many universities there that will have a dynamic like K-State (with a facilitator and student-athlete from the same school)."
Shankar brings several leadership positions to the table. Currently vice president of the K-State Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), Shankar serves as team leader for K-State track and field, and is passionate about Global Cats, an initiative to bring the international student-athlete committee together.
"TJ is our vice president of SAAC and knowing how much he wants to be a leader and give back to others is huge," Jones said. "Knowing the curriculum that I will teach and facilitate, I'm excited for TJ to learn and bring it back to K-State and to SAAC and all of our student-athletes. The information we'll facilitate for the student-athletes is impactful. For TJ to take a deep dive into himself and understand how you can give back to others is going to be huge.
"I'm sure tears will be shed by the end of the forum because you really get to know people so closely. The hotel is booked just for the NCAA, and we'll build lasting relationships."
Jones refers to Shankar as a "servant leader."
"He serves others, gives back to the community through community service. Every opportunity we have listed, he signs up for to give back. He also communicates well, which is impactful, and he has great management, especially being vice president of SAAC, and with track and academics. He has a lot of leadership and skills. He has authenticity and is able to share his story and talk about everything that he wrote in his essay and being vulnerable and able to do that is huge.
"People trust him. He brings people together. Track and field is seen as being one individual, but it's a team sport, and he's able to bring everyone together as a team."
From the days of managing a 2.0 GPA as a freshman, Shankar has leaped into a different trajectory, which is poised to be further enriched for four days in Houston.
It appears Shankar is destined for greatness not only in the sport that he dominates but also in his capacity to be an effective leader in life.
"My personal goal is to qualify for the 2024 Olympics," Shankar said. "That's what I'll be working toward once I'm out of college next year. I'm going to try and stay with Coach here as long as I can and try to find a way to get to Paris. But the experiences at K-State and the opportunities I've received by attending K-State will be things that will stick with me for life.
"Anywhere down the line, if I have the opportunity to help in the community or help anyone, I'm willing to be that person. I've learned a lot in college. I just want to keep learning."
Tejaswin Shankar's written essay began with the high jump national champion recounting a conversation with Kansas State head track and field coach Cliff Rovelto at the end of his freshman year in Manhattan. Shankar, a native of New Delhi, India, set the Indian national record in the indoor high jump, and he became the fifth freshman in history to win the outdoor high jump at the 2018 NCAA Championships. So, he was surprised at the conversation with Rovelto following his highly successful first year.
"Coach called me into his office and said, 'You have a 2.0 GPA,'" Shankar recalled. "I thought that being a national champion was enough. Coach said that my grades my freshman year didn't reflect myself as a person. He told me success shouldn't be limited to one aspect of life, but rather it should trickle down to all aspects.
"The way that Coach explained it to me, it stuck with me. Since then, I've applied that principle to everything I do in life, and not worrying about how talented I might be in one thing, but rather embracing the process. I don't know if Coach thought that conversation would stick with me like that, but I made a 180-degree turn. Since then, I've really committed myself to every aspect of my life and it's also helped me improve in track. This was a great opportunity for me to share my story."
Today, Shankar is a 3.5 GPA student who earned his bachelor's degree in accounting and finance and is currently working toward earning his master's degree in accounting in May 2022. Shankar, a six-time All-American who has won one NCAA Championship and five Big 12 Championships, is also one of the most highly decorated collegiate track and field athletes in the legendary career of Rovelto, who has coached 17 Olympians in his 34 years at K-State.
"My dad is definitely the first leader I ever looked up to no matter what," Shankar said. "The second person is Coach. Coming to K-State, I just wanted to be the best high jumper I could be. Now when I leave K-State, I believe that I'll be a better human being and that's more important to me now than being the best high jumper. You should be somebody of high integrity and that's something that's always going to stay with me.
"Those two people are the two most impactful people who've been in my life."
Hari Shankar taught many values to his son in New Delhi, India, before his passing in 2014.
"When you think about leaders, they're always in the front of the line, but my father always told me that a true leader is always with the people who are in the back of the line because they're the people who actually need the push," Shankar said. "Front-of-the-line people don't need the push because they're already motivated. If you walk with the people in the back of the line, that's what separates you from the people in the front, and, ultimately, it's not about one person.
"When I came to K-State, I said, 'I want to be this,' but now it's more about, 'How can we be the best.' Those are some qualities that my father talked about all the time. At the time, I didn't understand it, but now I'm starting to reflect on those qualities more."
Shankar explained his personal, academic and athletic path to success in a 1,000-word essay, which he attached to his application and academic transcripts to be considered for selection to the 2021 NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum, which will take place November 18-21 in Houston, Texas.
Created in 1997, the NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum is touted as a life-changing event. More than 5,000 student-athletes have participated in the four-day affair to learn invaluable leadership skills, a refined understanding of the relationship among personal values, core beliefs and behavioral styles, while gaining the support of a close personal network of like-minded peers — many of whom become lifelong friends.
The NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum is also highly competitive. Each Division I conference selects one male and one female student-athlete from among its active member schools, so mathematically the chances of being selected to the forum are slim. So, imagine the look upon the face of Julian Jones, K-State's assistant athletic director for student-athlete development and chief diversity officer, when he learned that the Big 12 Conference selection committee elected Shankar as its male representative.
"We were at NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis, and I tried not to be too excited because other colleagues in the room had student-athletes who weren't selected," Jones said, "but I knew this was a major thing."
Jones, too, had another reason for celebration. As an NCAA intern in the office of inclusion in 2016-17, Jones had previously played a role in the NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum. He served as a group leader, or "color team" leader, who aided the group's facilitator. Later, Jones participated in a facilitation workshop in hopes of serving as facilitator at a future date. Athletic administrators from across the nation apply for the honor of serving as one of many facilitators for the group of 500 student-athletes at the forum.
This year, Jones was invited to apply and was selected to the prestigious role as facilitator. In October, he completed a one-week training course in Indianapolis ahead of the Houston event.
"I'm excited for this opportunity because (the forum) is what started my career," Jones said. "The people I met there are people who helped me get into the door. I'm excited to get back (to the forum) in another way. I'm more excited that TJ got selected. I don't think there will be many universities there that will have a dynamic like K-State (with a facilitator and student-athlete from the same school)."
Shankar brings several leadership positions to the table. Currently vice president of the K-State Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), Shankar serves as team leader for K-State track and field, and is passionate about Global Cats, an initiative to bring the international student-athlete committee together.
"TJ is our vice president of SAAC and knowing how much he wants to be a leader and give back to others is huge," Jones said. "Knowing the curriculum that I will teach and facilitate, I'm excited for TJ to learn and bring it back to K-State and to SAAC and all of our student-athletes. The information we'll facilitate for the student-athletes is impactful. For TJ to take a deep dive into himself and understand how you can give back to others is going to be huge.
Our athletes had a great time raising money and gathering food items for the flint hills bread basket!!! Ps: S/O to Helen who got to celebrate her 70th birthday with some K-State Athletes! #GoCats #Emaw pic.twitter.com/qWM3DiOISD
— K-State Student-Athletes (@kstate_athletes) October 17, 2021
"I'm sure tears will be shed by the end of the forum because you really get to know people so closely. The hotel is booked just for the NCAA, and we'll build lasting relationships."
Jones refers to Shankar as a "servant leader."
"He serves others, gives back to the community through community service. Every opportunity we have listed, he signs up for to give back. He also communicates well, which is impactful, and he has great management, especially being vice president of SAAC, and with track and academics. He has a lot of leadership and skills. He has authenticity and is able to share his story and talk about everything that he wrote in his essay and being vulnerable and able to do that is huge.
"People trust him. He brings people together. Track and field is seen as being one individual, but it's a team sport, and he's able to bring everyone together as a team."
From the days of managing a 2.0 GPA as a freshman, Shankar has leaped into a different trajectory, which is poised to be further enriched for four days in Houston.
It appears Shankar is destined for greatness not only in the sport that he dominates but also in his capacity to be an effective leader in life.
"My personal goal is to qualify for the 2024 Olympics," Shankar said. "That's what I'll be working toward once I'm out of college next year. I'm going to try and stay with Coach here as long as I can and try to find a way to get to Paris. But the experiences at K-State and the opportunities I've received by attending K-State will be things that will stick with me for life.
"Anywhere down the line, if I have the opportunity to help in the community or help anyone, I'm willing to be that person. I've learned a lot in college. I just want to keep learning."
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