DAYTON – Five University of Dayton student-athletes and two UD athletics staff members will attend the 2025 NCAA Impact Forum from Nov. 10-12 in Indianapolis.

Student-athletes Katherine Blandford (senior rower from Cincinnati, Ohio), Juliana Gonzalez (sophomore softball player from Lebanon, Ohio), Amir Gray (junior baseball player from South Holland, Ill.), Maya Murray (junior rower from Bexley, Ohio), and Daniela Peralta (senior track & field student-athlete from Gillette, N.J.), as well as Vera Gomes, academic coordinator, and Krystal Warren, senior associate athletics director for student development and community engagement, will take part in the NCAA Forum which brings together leaders within higher education and intercollegiate athletics for transformational programming. The professional development experience will offer educational and engaging sessions centered around creating cultures of belonging and well-being.

The participants will gain practical information and tools related to community building and other learning strategies that they can bring back to campus. Attendees will also engage in sessions and dialogue focused on enhancing efforts to support all student-athletes and their unique experiences on campus.

"Being selected to attend the 2025 NCAA Impact Forum gives me the amazing opportunity to learn from other high-level leaders and minds who are dedicated to creating inclusive cultures in athletics," said Gray. "My goal is to bring those lessons back to Dayton to support, not only my teammates, but also the broader student-athlete community."

"Attending the NCAA Impact Forum gives me the chance to grow as a leader, connect with other student-athletes, and bring back new ideas to support well-being," added Blandford. "These are skills I'll carry with me now as a student-athlete and later as a professional."