Maryland Made: 2026 Big Ten Student-Athlete Leadership Retreat
Hear from five Maryland student-athletes after their week building their networks and leadership skills in Rosemont, Illinois.
By Brady Ruth, Staff Writer
6/30/2026
Five Maryland student-athletes recently returned from the 2026 Big Ten Student-Athlete Leadership Retreat in Rosemont, Illinois, after a week of networking, professional growth, and refining their leadership skills with their peers.
The retreat featured 90 student-athletes from all 18 Big Ten Conference universities. Maryland’s five representatives were wrestling’s Joey Schneck, track and field’s Andrew Harmon, football’s Sidney Stewart, women’s basketball’s Oluchi Okananwa, and men’s basketball’s George Turkson Jr.
“I’ve always known that Maryland invests and cares a great deal about student-athletes, whether it be on the field or once they’ve graduated,” Harmon said. “This trip, however, emphasized just how much the Big Ten Conference as a whole cares and wants the best for its athletes on the field and life after college. It was great to put some faces to the Big Ten Conference and meet other student-athletes from all the other schools. It made for an impactful and fun couple of days.”
The Big Ten Student-Athlete Retreat was designed to engage, educate, and empower student-athletes by strengthening their leadership abilities, building teamwork, and fostering personal growth. Through workshops, team-building activities, and dynamic guest speakers, participants gained valuable tools to lead effectively both on and off the field.
“I was most excited to get to meet and engage with student-athletes across the Big Ten Conference,” Schneck said. “This event created a unique opportunity for student-athletes like us to build relationships and connect with other student-athletes beyond our own campuses. I knew it would give us the ability to compare and contrast our athlete experiences.”
Prior to the trip, Schneck said he was most looking forward to the networking night, where student-athletes were able to connect with student-athlete alumni and learn about their post-graduation experiences, as well as how their athletic backgrounds shaped how they navigate the professional world.
“My biggest takeaway from this trip is that I don’t need to take a traditional route to create my success,” Schneck said. “Additionally, I am able to establish multiple, separate facets of my life where I can create success and make a professional life for myself that is unique and diverse.”
The retreat emphasized self-reflection, clear communication, and the development of core values, equipping student-athletes to become impactful leaders within their teams, campuses, and communities.
Highlights of the week included a networking event with alumni, as well as community activities, offering a well-rounded and enriching experience.
“I was excited to meet new people and learn because I enjoy stepping outside of my comfort zone and experiencing different perspectives,” Stewart said. “Connecting with others gave me the opportunity to build relationships, hear new ideas, and understand experiences that may be different from my own. I was also looking forward to learning new things that could help me grow personally and broaden my knowledge. My biggest takeaway from the week was that I should try to be more patient with my peers when I disagree with them back home.”
This event created a unique opportunity for student-athletes like us to build relationships and connect with other student-athletes beyond our own campuses. I knew it would give us the ability to compare and contrast our athlete experiences.Joey Schneck
The student-athletes were able to visit the Big Ten Headquarters in Chicago during their visit. For their community event, the Terps got to work at Intentional Sports, a nonprofit organization that provides accessible sports opportunities for youth in Chicago. Maryland’s student-athletes were able to work with kids in the area, practice their own leadership skills, and help grow the love for sports in the next generation.
“My biggest takeaway was how important it is to be a leader by example and how to be a leader on any sports team,” Okananwa said. “It's important for you to do personal reflection in your leadership style and make sure that the way you’re leading is positively impacting your teammates. It’s also important to be open for criticism and improve as a leader.”
Turkson Jr. entered the week knowing the importance of building relationships outside of his own community — a point of emphasis at the Leadership Retreat. When leaving Rosemont, he walked away with a greater understanding of just how many resources are at his disposal when shaping his future.
“My biggest takeaway from the leadership retreat is that we are the drivers of our future and the outcome of our careers,” Turkson Jr. said. “Although it sounds like a lot, which it is, there are so many resources that we — especially as student-athletes in the Big Ten — have access to that’ll help facilitate a smoother transition to professional sports or a professional career. Networking is arguably more important than entry-level experience, so getting out of our comfort zones and presenting ourselves in a memorable, unique way to others will only compliment the resumes we have as student-athletes.”
Maryland Made’s Adaeze Alaeze-Garbo served as a facilitator for the event, and was able to oversee a session on leadership, as well as aide in the Big Ten’s women’s basketball small group meeting about supporting the overall experience of student-athletes.
"Last year, I was a cohort lead and supported our students through an administrative lens,” Alaeze-Garbo said. “This year, being able to be a guest facilitator and directly impact their experience was so special. I think the Big Ten does a phenomenal job ensuring that our student-athletes are successful on and off the court."
The Terps entered the 2026 Big Ten Conference Student-Athlete Leadership Retreat with excitement and left with new tools, meaningful relationships and valuable resources to bring back to College Park and carry into the next chapters of their lives.
