Somerset, NJ - They are the leaders amongst leaders.
 
Bryant’s Logan Paul and Sacred Heart’s Connor Donnelly will serve as Co-Chairpersons of the Northeast Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) for the upcoming 2017-18 academic year.
 
Both student-athletes will return to their leadership roles at the conference level following an achievement-filled 2016-17 campaign.
 
While Donnelly has expended his athletic eligibility and will serve NEC SAAC in a post-graduate role, Paul will be an active student-athlete during the upcoming year.
 
Paul, who hails from Shaker Heights, OH, has pitched in 37 games for Bryant’s softball team over the past three seasons. She has made 17 starts in the circle, including two complete-game performances. This past April, Paul registered a career-high five strikeouts against ACC member Boston College.
 
When it comes to her work off the diamond, Paul owns a rather impressive resume. She has been an active member of the Bryant SAAC executive board for each of the past two years, helping to execute numerous initiatives during that time. Paul’s leadership and volunteerism have benefitted campus-wide programs such as Foster Forward, Mini's for Many and Bulldog Connection. Paul, along with her fellow softball student-athletes, is also heavily involved with a local chapter of Special Olympics.
 
In addition to her commitment to SAAC and its mission, the International Business Management major has found a way to balance the rigors of varsity athletics competition and the honors program. Paul, who minors in Spanish International Business, is currently working on a thesis that carries a personal meaning. It is entitled "The Impact that NCAA Division I Training Activities has on Female Athletes' Perceived Body Image as Compared to the Media."
 
“I selected this topic largely due to my own experiences,” said Paul, who will use NEC student-athlete women during the research process.
 
Donnelly, a four-year letter winner for Sacred Heart’s men’s golf team, completed his undergraduate work in June 2016 with Summa Cum Laude honors. The double major (Sports Management and Marketing) proceeded to earn a Masters of Business Administration from Sacred Heart this spring.
 
Donnelly, who spent this past year serving as a graduate assistant in SHU’s Alumni Relations office, was elected to serve as the National Co-Chair of NCAA Division I SAAC. Having been selected by the 32 peers who sit on the National SAAC board, Donnelly will serve as a leading voice for all student-athletes and act as a voting member on both the NCAA Division I Council and the NCAA Strategic Vision and Planning Committee.
 
Paul and Donnelly have been driving forces behind numerous conference-wide SAAC initiatives, including the annual Money Wars competition that benefits the Children’s Cancer Recovery Fund. Under their guidance, the NEC SAAC continued its sponsorship of the Bayer Building Communities competition as well as the annual league-wide canned food drive. For the first time this past fall, the NEC SAAC volunteered at Bonnie Brae, a New Jersey-based Residential & Therapeutic School that provides comprehensive care and education to at-risk boys and young men.
 
As part of their SAAC leadership responsibilities, Paul and Donnelly will administer periodic conference calls for NEC executive members. They will also produce an annual report and present it to the Northeast Conference’s athletics directors and senior woman administrators.