Driven by the Mission highlights the hidden champions of the student-athlete experience. Hosts Raymond Harrison and Jean Boyd with nearly 60 years of experience in college athletics lead conversations with academic and student-athlete development professionals and other personnel central to the holistic development of student-athletes that provide insight rarely discussed related to empowering student-athletes. In a time of reinvention in college athletics, where the lead story publicly is revenue sharing, NIL, the transfer portal and the business of the college athletic industrial complex, we seem to be losing the truth. The truth that college athletics is the most ingenious system of comprehensive development for the young adults who participate therein. Driven by the Mission focuses on the core of what the student-athlete experience is about: creating leaders and champions in life, and the professionals who are blessed to be the custodians of this commitment to holistic development.
Send us Fan Mail Episode 13- Mission: Sustained Excellence In this episode, we sit down with Walt Holliday, Executive Director of the Cox Communication Center at LSU and a 32-year veteran of academic support and student athlete development. What starts as a reunion of old friends quickly becomes a masterclass in servant leadership, quiet excellence, and staying grounded through relentless change. Walt shares how a chance meeting with a dean at Rutgers redirected his entire life's path, what i...
26 Mar 2026
Mission: Accountability
Send us Fan Mail Episode 12- Mission: Accountability In this episode of Driven By The Mission, we sit down with Katie Ethridge, a respected leader and lifelong champion of student-athlete success. Katie offers candid insight into how meaningful relationships, individualized support, and a clear sense of purpose can transform lives both on and off the field. She also honors the legacy of her late colleague and dear friend, Alise Svihla, whose passion and positivity continue to inspire pr...
11 Mar 2026
Mission: Learning Style'Z
Send a text Episode 11- Mission: Learning Style'Z In this episode of Driven By The Mission, Raymond Harrison and Jean Boyd welcome Yolanda Black, Learning Specialist at the University of Georgia, to spotlight the work happening behind the scenes of academic support for student-athletes. The conversation includes conversations about learning styles and skill building, but goes beyond academics — diving into confidence-building, identity development, mental health, and the complex realiti...
6 Feb 2026
Mission: Gratitude
Send us a text Episode 10- Mission: Gratitude Episode 10 is a milestone so we’re switching it up. Jean Boyd and Raymond Harrison sit down with DBTM team member Cecil Banks III to reflect on the first 10 episodes, the guests who helped build the foundation, and the “why” behind this Mission. In this episode, the crew shares what it really took to launch DBTM, how a pivotal conversation set everything in motion, and why college athletics must remain the most ingenious human development platfor...
6 Jan 2026
Mission: Intentional
Send us a text Episode 9- Mission: Intentional In this episode of Driven By The Mission, Jean Boyd and Raymond Harrison are joined by Tori Niemann-Lukens, Assistant AD and Director of Student-Athlete Development at Clemson University, for a powerful conversation on intentional leadership, identity, and human development in college athletics. Tori reflects on her journey from Division I student-athlete to senior administrator, sharing why sport is a vehicle—not the destination. She discusses ...
12 Dec 2025
Mission: Annoying Uncle
Episode 8 - Mission: Annoying Uncle Courtney “Skip” Skipper has spent 19 years at Arizona State quietly changing lives—first as a GA who “just wanted to do development,” now as Assistant AD for Academic Services. In this episode, Skip, Jean, and Raymond unpack the power of language (“we’re products of expectations, not environments”), why authenticity beats authority with today’s athletes, and how a coach’s-kid childhood across three states became the perfect training ground to connect with a...
26 Nov 2025
Mission: Forever Fueling
Episode 7- Mission: Forever Fueling Former Washington State tennis standout and UCF Director of Sports Nutrition Aneta Miksovska joins Driven By The Mission to pull back the curtain on what sports nutrition really is — and why it’s about far more than food. Aneta traces her journey from the Czech Republic to the Palouse, becoming an NCAA Tournament athlete and three-time Pac-12 All-Academic pick, then shifting from tennis coach to trailblazing sports dietitian — including serving as the first...
15 Nov 2025
Mission: Strength
Episode 6- Mission: Strength On this episode of Driven by the Mission, Jean Boyd and Raymond Harrison sit down with Karl Holmes Jr., Director of Player Engagement for Oregon Football. Karl opens up about a non-linear path—from arriving at Arizona State with his belongings in trash bags, to JUCO detours, seven concussions, a cleared arrest that still echoes, and a degree earned at Grand Valley State. He explains how those chapters forged his purpose: advocating for student-athletes as whole pe...
29 Oct 2025
Mission: Find Your Fuel
Episode 5 - Mission: Find Your Fuel Dr. Ron Moses, Deputy AD for Internal Operations at Old Dominion, cuts through the NIL/transfer noise and gets back to the backbone of college sports: academics, outcomes, and human development. From an unconventional path—Youth Challenge Academy, the military, Georgia Military College—to building outcome-driven cultures (3.0 team standards, mental-health staffing, athlete dining), Ron shows how discipline and accountability travel from the barracks to the ...
10 Oct 2025
Mission: Value Add
Episode 4 - Mission: Value Add Saul Luna, Senior Associate Athletic Trainer for Texas A&M’s Track & Field & Cross Country programs, has dedicated his life to preventing injuries, restoring performance, and building trust in the moments when athletes hit the edge. In this episode of Driven by the Mission, Saul pulls back the curtain on the grit behind the scenes—nights in the training room, the delicate return-to-play decisions, and the human stories hidden under tape and pro...
25 Sept 2025
Mission: Iron Will
Episode 3- Mission: Iron Will Joe Connolly, Arizona State Football’s Director of Sports Performance, has built a career around developing athletes who are powerful on the field and prepared for life beyond it. In this episode of Driven by the Mission, Joe shares his philosophy on building trust, fostering discipline, and creating environments where athletes thrive. From strength training to leadership development, his approach is about more than sets and reps—it’s about shaping resilient youn...
10 Sept 2025
Mission: Possible
Episode 2 – Mission: Possible Kim Durand, Deputy Athletic Director at the University of Washington, has spent over 30 years helping student-athletes realize they’re more than the sport they play. From guiding them through the chaos of COVID-19 to navigating leadership transitions and conference realignment, Kim has remained anchored to one mission: comprehensive student-athlete success. Recently honored with the 2025 Women in Higher Education Achievement Award, she shares her journey, her phi...
28 Aug 2025
Mission: Launch
Episode 1 – Mission: Launch Hosts Jean Boyd and Raymond Harrison kick off Driven by the Mission with a bold vision: to spotlight the Hidden Heroes of college athletics and explore how they shape the student-athlete experience. This launch episode lays out the mission, familiarizes listeners with the podcast hosts, and discusses their “why” in this rapidly evolving era of college athletics.
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