Rice junior chosen for Olympic Committee’s program for minority student leaders

FROM RICE NEWS STAFF REPORTS

Sid Rich junior Samuel Sok is one of 30 minority student leaders from universities across the nation selected by the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) to attend its Finding Leaders Among Minorities Everywhere (FLAME) program next month.

	SAMUEL SOK

The program provides students an in-depth look at the Olympic movement and gives them a chance to explore the Olympic ideals of persistence, commitment, vision, focus and determination. Participants are mentored so they can apply Olympic-oriented principles to all aspects of their lives.

Sok, a sport management major with an interest in public relations, expects the experience to benefit his career. “My job will primarily be to create and maintain an acceptable image,” he said. “As the Olympics stands for worldwide unity in the world of sports as well as consistently enforcing an image that reflects such, I feel that this will be the opportunity of a lifetime — to learn from an organization that publicizes their brand very well and translates it into real-world situations.”

An Asian-American of Korean descent, Sok said that because he is a minority, “creating a world where unity is possible is very important to me.” He considers his selection for the FLAME program to be “a true honor.”

While attending the program Aug. 1-4 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., Sok will live among athletes-in-training, reside in a dormitory and eat alongside U.S. Olympians, Paralympians and hopefuls.

The program itinerary includes presentations by USOC and national governing body senior staff members and one-on-one discussions with motivational speakers such as legendary Olympian Billy Mills (track and field, 1964), Paralympian John Register (track and field, 2000) and two-time Paralympian April Holmes (track and field, 2004 and 2008).

Additional activities include sport demonstrations conducted by USOC resident athletes, a networking-skills seminar and a hike through the famous Garden of the Gods.

”FLAME has consistently been one of the USOC’s most successful outreach programs,” USOC acting Chief Executive Officer Stephanie Streeter said. ”FLAME program alumni have gone on to become Olympians, USOC college interns, USOC sponsor employees and leaders in companies and organizations throughout the country.”