Page 17 - Senior Link Magazine Summer 2018- Online Magazine

of philanthropy the groundbreaking Leadership and
the Talkingtons Career Development Program is
provided to invest supported by an endowment that
in new programs will sustain the program well into
or to grow their the future.
engagement with
the communities With a holistic approach, the
they serve. academy impacts more than 450
student-athletes across 17 sports
“If you look at with a curriculum that addresses:
what we do at the
Health Sciences • career education;
Center, if you look • Cash Family Character
at what is done at Development;
the university, so
much of our ability • community relations;
to go above and
beyond is based on • leadership;
philanthropy,” said
Mitchell. • J.T. & Margaret Talkington
Lectureship Series;
Growing Fearless • life skills;
Flanked by portraits of J.T. and Margaret Talkington, Cynthia
Jumper, M.D., stands in the lobby of the the J.T. & Margaret Champions and • professional development;
Talkington Charitable Foundation offices. Jumper, a critical the Community
care pulmonologist and associate vice president for public • and wellness.
health at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center “Margaret would
who holds a J.T. & Margaret Talkington Chair in Internal The results are evident in the
Medicine, was Margaret Talkington’s physician. have been a big fan student-athletes’ lives. “It’s fun to
of the leadership have them become such a great
academy, and so version of themselves because
awarded a chair, it gives them an would J.T.,” said they’re so capable. They should
available fund they can utilize . Lubbock Mayor Dan Pope. be the best leaders this country
. . whether for educational work, produces,” said Sharp, who led the
research work or community service Now in its sixth year, the J.T. & Lady Raiders basketball team to the
work,” he said. Mitchell wants Margaret Talkington Leadership 1993 national title. Hocutt added,
the chairs filled by faculty who Academy was launched by Kirby “The guiding principle is to do
represent the best of what Texas Hocutt, Texas Tech Director of the right thing. That can sound so
Tech University Health Sciences Athletics, and Marsha Sharp, simple, but we talk a lot about it –
Center is trying to do. “That’s to Associate Athletics Director and whether you’re performing in front
make sure the students’ experience Head Coach Emerita. It gives of 60,000 people or when no one is
and our residents’ experience student-athletes at the university watching.”
prepare them with a baseline in tools they can use to perform better
internal medicine training that they in their sport — but its mission is Doing the right thing at Texas
can take anywhere,” he said. But it to create great people. As part of Tech includes giving back, and
takes skill with both patients and Hocutt’s mission “to educate, serve student-athletes volunteer more
students. “In order to do that, you and grow fearless champions”, the than 1,000 hours in the local area
have to make sure the folks who leadership academy was so critical as part of the academy’s emphasis
hold those chairs are not just good to the future of Texas Tech Athletics on the community. Projects this
clinicians themselves but also good that it became a cornerstone of the past year benefited charities, such
at training other people. Those are university’s first fundraising effort as the South Plains Food Bank, the
not necessarily one and the same focused on student-athletes, The Lubbock Meals on Wheels and the
skill,” said Mitchell. And more and Campaign for Fearless Champions. Special Olympics. Student-athletes
more universities rely on the type Through the Talkington’s generosity, also spent time reading to kids in

Lubbock Senior Link 17