Being a varsity athlete requires a lot of exertion both mentally and physically, and honors level coursework on top of that adds to the challenge. Senior chemical engineering major and UD men’s soccer goalie Scott Sampson struggled with balancing all of that and finding students in the same situation.

In Fall 2021, Sampson and track and field student-athlete Carolyn Coletti decided to create their own community by founding the Honors Varsity Student-Athlete Association (HVSA).

“HVSA came out of a problem that I experienced personally—not having a community that fit me,” said Sampson.

When Sampson started his first year at UD, he said he felt immediately stretched between the demands of being a Division I athlete and being an honors student living in the honors freshmen dorm in Redding Hall.

“I felt isolated from my other teammates that all lived together,” said Sampson. “I was the first to leave the dorm in the morning to go to practice and the last to go to bed after studying in the library, and I experienced an isolated world. I eventually met a couple other honors varsity student-athletes and realized how well we naturally bonded because of the similar circumstances we all were in.”

Sampson then took it upon himself to create a space for honors varsity student athletes, where they could all know and support each other.

“After a long year and summer of work and after securing funding and facilities from both the Honors College and the Athletics Department, we launched an honors club that supports more than 50 honors varsity student-athletes across all years at UD and continues to grow,” said Sampson.

Since HVSA’s inception, they have held group events and bonding activities, including attending sporting events together, dinners and “de-stressing” events like painting, playing board games and hanging outdoors.

HVSA’s mission statement follows the acronym PULSE—prepare, unite, lead, support and excellence. Part of their purpose is described as creating a safe space for honors athletes to talk about their struggles and share success stories, as well as providing a support network to help each other navigate challenges.

When asked what his favorite part of HVSA is, Sampson said it’s the people. 

“HVSA has the coolest people, hands down,” he said. “We have a friendly, diverse group with a wide range of talents and passions. We are more than just excellent athletes and students—we are musicians, dancers, singers, artists, Greek life members, volunteers and more. The people are truly what gives this club life.”

If you are an honors varsity student athlete looking to join HVSA, email ssampson@udel.edu or direct message their Instagram account @ud_hvsa.