Five Student-Athlete Co-Chairs from area high schools step into unique leadership roles through mentorship, coordination, and event planning for the AthLife Foundation’s Annual Event. 

March 5, 2026 –The AthLife Foundation, the Official Student-Athlete Development Partner of St. Luke’s Sports Medicine, is proud to announce its 2026 Student-Athlete Leadership Day, taking place on Wednesday, March 11, 2025 at Moravian University. The Foundation also recognizes the five Student-Athlete Co-Chairs who have taken a hands-on leadership role in planning and coordinating this year’s event.  

Designed for middle school and high school student-athletes across the Lehigh Valley and Pocono regions, this full-day experience focuses on leadership development, mentorship, and life skills, supporting students as they represent their schools, work alongside their Academic Athletic Coaches, and strengthen their Student-Athlete Development Programs for teammates and peers.

2026 Student-Athlete Leadership Day Student-Athlete Co-Chairs: 

• Anthony DePasqua, Pocono Mountain West High School, Class of 2026
• Eva Madeira, Liberty High School, Class of 2027
• Lily Medaska, Liberty High School Class of 2027
• Nicholas Schenkel, Liberty High School Class of 2026
• Ana Yuter, Pocono Mountain West High School, Class of 2026

“Being a co-chair for the AthLife Foundation has shown me how powerful it is when student-athletes come together to grow not just in their sport, but as people. This event is about more than athletics, it’s about building confidence, leadership, and resilience that carry into the classroom and everyday life,” said Ana Yuter, co-chair and Pocono Mountain West High School Class of 2026. “Speaking in front of other student-athletes about confidence is especially meaningful to me because I know how much believing in yourself can change your mindset, performance, and future. I’m proud to help create a space where student-athletes feel supported, empowered, and inspired to lead both athletically and academically.”

For high school student-athletes, the day will feature dynamic speakers and student-athlete development experts leading interactive workshops centered on leadership, resilience, goal setting, and balance.  

“This event offers an amazing opportunity for local middle and high school athletes to hone their skills off the field,” added Nicholas Schenkel, co-chair and Liberty High School Class of 2026. “We have an all star lineup of presenters and student athletes are bound to not only hone their skills, but enjoy doing it! As a co-chair, this experience has been second to none. It has been great working with my peers from Pocono Mt. West and Liberty, and we are all super excited for the day’s events.”

Middle School student-athletes will participate in workshops led by high school student-athlete leaders from Freedom High School, Liberty High School, Phillipsburg High School, and Pocono Mountain East High School.  Workshop topics will include: Leadership & Team Culture, Transition from Middle School to High School, Goal Setting: Turning Dreams into Plans, and Balancing School, Sports, and Life.

High school student-athletes will hear from  former NFL Player and transformational speaker, Jeremiah Brown along with industry leaders in student-athlete development, including  Assistant Athletic Director, Brynn McNamara (Moravian University) and Assistant Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Development, Brandon Floyd (Vanderbilt University), representing Huddle Up.

High school workshops will also include a Collegiate Student-Athlete Panel Discussion with alumni representatives from Lafayette College, and current Moravian University student-athletes, led and moderated by therapist and life coach, Brit Kohli, CRC, LPC.

During a guided lunch debrief, high school and middle school student-athletes will connect to reflect on the day’s lessons. Academic Athletic Coaches will collaborate with students to create action plans aimed at strengthening student-athlete development programs within their home school districts. The full-day program agenda tba.

About The AthLife Foundation
Founded in 2010, the AthLife Foundation is a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit organization with a mission to ensure that every kid who plays can achieve life long success beyond sport. Through grant funding, training and industry leading resources, we help schools create a critical professional staff position in secondary education, called an Academic Athletic Coach. That Academic Athletic Coach works year round to create high impact programming, taps into a student’s passion for their sport and drives holistic development.

We’ve reached tens of thousands of students in schools across multiple states, strengthened by partnerships with organizations such as the Heisman Trophy Trust, Joe Moore Award and Foundation for Teamwork, NFL Foundation, New York Community Trust, St. Luke’s University Health Network, State of Connecticut, State of Pennsylvania, Under Armour Foundation, and many others. Learn more at athlifefoundation.org or join our professional network at 3ace.connectedcommunity.org.

Information provided to TVL by:
JNR Public Relations