NEWARK, N.J. (October 5, 2017) – Junior Chelsea Scott of the Rutgers University-Newark women's basketball team was named the president of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), it was announced in conjunction with the league office Thursday morning.
 
Scott is a two-year member of the Scarlet Raider women's basketball team, a tireless worker and a model citizen at Rutgers-Newark.
 
"Chelsea is the definition of student-athlete," said Head Women's Basketball Coach Ashley Cieplicki. "The way she has made an extremely difficult school schedule work with her basketball schedule, and then still have time to be involved with so many things on campus is exactly how we want to represent Rutgers-Newark. I could not be more happy for Chelsea – she is so deserving of this – and I know she will only improve SAAC in the NJAC and at Rutgers-Newark."

As President of the NJAC SAAC, Scott will serve as a liaison and voice for all New Jersey Athletic Conference student-athletes. She will fill the gaps between the students, school administration, conference administration and the NCAA's national office, giving the league an actual student voice when it comes to recommendations, voting and more.
 
The NJAC's Assistant Commissioner Michelle Serabian is eager to get Scott on board.
 
"I am very excited for Chelsea to serve as our SAAC President this year," said Serabian. "She emerged as a leader among a very enthusiastic and involved group last year, and I am looking forward to her leadership in helping us make this the best year yet for our conference's SAAC."
 
Scott has played in 35 games over the course of her Rutgers-Newark hoops career, helping the team to an improbable run to the NJAC title game as a sophomore.
 
Off the court, Scott is an excellent student with an eye on law school. Her plan is to get into the Rutgers-Newark master's program and graduate with her Bachelor's and Master's degrees and then go to law school at Rutgers-Camden. Her hometown of Sicklerville, N.J. is close to Camden, N.J.
 
Asked why she wanted to get involved with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee on a conference- and national-level, Scott felt there were a number of benefits to both herself and her classmates across the conference.
 
"I was attracted to the position because it is a chance to be in a leadership role," said Scott. "I will be able to give others a voice and articulate our ideas on a large scale, while also opening doors for myself through networking and the ability to attend several high-level NCAA events."
 
She also said she is looking forward to the challenge.
 
"It is great to show you can handle being a student-athlete with classes, practices, games, work and a lot more. It's also great to take on a challenge and conquer it which is what I plan on doing when it comes to being the SAAC President."
 
When it comes to SAAC at Rutgers-Newark, Scott also has plans and wants to see involvement improve.
 
"When it comes to the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee at Rutgers-Newark, I want to see it grow," she said. "I want people to realize the benefits of being involved, and the power we as student-athletes have."
 
The mission of the National Student-Athlete Advisory Committees is to enhance the total student-athlete experience by promoting opportunity, protecting student-athlete welfare and fostering a positive student-athlete image. Though the focus of campus SAACs is intended to be more parochial in nature, communication among campus and national SAACs offers student-athletes the opportunity to shape the landscape of intercollegiate athletics.
 
Conferences around the nation have created SAACs in order to strengthen the communication between the campus and national committees. Through increased communication and networking, the SAACs hope to better represent the views of all student-athletes.
 
Through Scott, both the Rutgers-Newark and NJAC SAAC hope to increase their involvement and voice over the coming months. The group will be working on causes to get behind as well several larger-scale efforts in local communities. Previously, the NJAC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee has put its support and efforts behind the Special Olympics, helping the less fortunate during the holiday season and much, much, more.
 
As for Chelsea Scott and the Scarlet Raider women's basketball team, they officially kick off their preseason on Monday, October 16.