Providence College Athletics
Friar Athletics Hosts Mandell-Boisclair Student-Athlete Career Night
10/12/2018 1:29:00 PM | General, Athletic Department
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - On Tuesday, October 9, the Providence College Athletic Department in conjunction with the Office of Academic Support held its annual Student-Athlete Career Night. The event was made possible through the generous support of Mark Mandell and Yvette Boisclair '84 who have sponsored the event since its inception in 2008.
More than 80 student-athletes from the junior and senior classes attended the event, which was held in '64 Hall. The night began with a message from Mark Mandell. He spoke about the importance of being humble and said that the true measure of wealth is what you are able to do to help others.
The keynote speaker at the event was Doris Burke. A 1987 graduate of Providence College, Doris Burke '87, '92G, & '05Hon. has received many accolades for her basketball prowess including being named Providence College's Female Athlete of the Year. The gritty point guard led Providence in assists during three of her four seasons with the program and was a three-time All-BIG EAST selection. In addition to earning All-BIG EAST honors, Burke was selected to the KODAK District I All-America Team in 1987. Burke led the BIG EAST Conference in assists two-straight seasons from 1985-1987, and still ranks second all-time at Providence College in assists with 602 handouts in 113 career games. To date, Burke ranks 10th all-time at Providence in career scoring, with 1,372 points. She was the fifth woman ever inducted into the Providence College Hall of Fame.
Today, Doris is a versatile basketball commentator who has covered the sport for ESPN since 1991. Her assignments include the NBA and men's and women's college basketball — both the regular season and the NCAA Championships. She was lauded by nearly every sports media outlet for her coverage of the NBA Finals, named a 2017 Women in Sports and Events (WISE) Woman of the Year, and most recently honored at the Naismith Hall of Fame with the Curt Gowdy award for electronic media.
Following the speaking program, student-athletes enjoyed dinner and had the opportunity to network with professionals from various industries including education, finance, health care policy, law, marketing, medicine and sports administration. The event ended with a panel discussion that featured Bob Driscoll, Doris Burke, Yvette Boisclair, Mark Mandell and Zach Mandell.
"Our vision in Friartown is to provide a student-athlete centered experience committed to the pursuit and achievement of excellence," said Athletic Director Bob Driscoll. "This program represents the comprehensive commitment by the Providence College Athletic Department to foster the overall growth and development of our student-athletes and prepare them for life after graduation. Mark and Yvette continue to transform the experience of our student-athletes and this program is one example of their generous support."
In addition to sponsoring the Student-Athlete Career Night, Mark Mandell and Yvette Boisclair '84 have also established endowed and immediate use scholarships to provide the gift of opportunity and education to Providence College student-athletes as well as funding the Leadership Academy run by Velocity HUB's victory academy program.
Previous keynote speakers at Providence College Student-Athlete Career Nights include: 2014 National Principal of the Year, Dr. Sheila Harrity '87, Providence College Head Men's Basketball Coach Ed Cooley, ESPN Analyst Jay Williams and former MLB player John McDonald '10.
More than 80 student-athletes from the junior and senior classes attended the event, which was held in '64 Hall. The night began with a message from Mark Mandell. He spoke about the importance of being humble and said that the true measure of wealth is what you are able to do to help others.
The keynote speaker at the event was Doris Burke. A 1987 graduate of Providence College, Doris Burke '87, '92G, & '05Hon. has received many accolades for her basketball prowess including being named Providence College's Female Athlete of the Year. The gritty point guard led Providence in assists during three of her four seasons with the program and was a three-time All-BIG EAST selection. In addition to earning All-BIG EAST honors, Burke was selected to the KODAK District I All-America Team in 1987. Burke led the BIG EAST Conference in assists two-straight seasons from 1985-1987, and still ranks second all-time at Providence College in assists with 602 handouts in 113 career games. To date, Burke ranks 10th all-time at Providence in career scoring, with 1,372 points. She was the fifth woman ever inducted into the Providence College Hall of Fame.
Today, Doris is a versatile basketball commentator who has covered the sport for ESPN since 1991. Her assignments include the NBA and men's and women's college basketball — both the regular season and the NCAA Championships. She was lauded by nearly every sports media outlet for her coverage of the NBA Finals, named a 2017 Women in Sports and Events (WISE) Woman of the Year, and most recently honored at the Naismith Hall of Fame with the Curt Gowdy award for electronic media.
Following the speaking program, student-athletes enjoyed dinner and had the opportunity to network with professionals from various industries including education, finance, health care policy, law, marketing, medicine and sports administration. The event ended with a panel discussion that featured Bob Driscoll, Doris Burke, Yvette Boisclair, Mark Mandell and Zach Mandell.
"Our vision in Friartown is to provide a student-athlete centered experience committed to the pursuit and achievement of excellence," said Athletic Director Bob Driscoll. "This program represents the comprehensive commitment by the Providence College Athletic Department to foster the overall growth and development of our student-athletes and prepare them for life after graduation. Mark and Yvette continue to transform the experience of our student-athletes and this program is one example of their generous support."
In addition to sponsoring the Student-Athlete Career Night, Mark Mandell and Yvette Boisclair '84 have also established endowed and immediate use scholarships to provide the gift of opportunity and education to Providence College student-athletes as well as funding the Leadership Academy run by Velocity HUB's victory academy program.
Previous keynote speakers at Providence College Student-Athlete Career Nights include: 2014 National Principal of the Year, Dr. Sheila Harrity '87, Providence College Head Men's Basketball Coach Ed Cooley, ESPN Analyst Jay Williams and former MLB player John McDonald '10.
2019 Providence College All-Sports Gala
Wednesday, May 01
