Providence College Athletics
Five Friar Athletes Selected to Be Team IMPACT Fellows
1/22/2025 10:08:00 AM | General, Men's Soccer, Women's Track and Field, Women's Volleyball
Noah Smith, Alec Lowe, Ala Pokrzywa, Charlotte Cousins and Lexi Brent have been selected to be Team IMPACT Fellows for the 2024-25 academic year.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Five Providence College student-athletes – Noah Smith (MSOC) and Alec Lowe (MSOC), Alicja Pokrzywa (VB), Charlotte Cousins (WTR) & Lexi Brent (WTR)– have been selected to be Team IMPACT Fellows for the 2024-25 academic year. This is the 2nd year that Smith & Lowe have served in this role. Fellows are selected from a competitive application and interview process. Providence College Athletics has been active with Team IMPACT, a national nonprofit that connects children facing serious and chronic illnesses with college athletic teams, forming life-long bonds and life-changing outcomes, since 2016. Currently, two Friar athletics teams (men's basketball, and men's cross country & track) have Team IMPACT youths on their rosters with a handful of teams (men's soccer, dance, men's swimming/diving, women's basketball, women's soccer, men's lacrosse) moving to alumni status. This group will represent Team IMPACT to collaborate with athletic teams, the athletic department and greater campus community to raise awareness and increase program participation. In return, Team IMPACT provides opportunities for fellows to build their skills in leadership, community organization, public speaking and professional/career development, preparing them to be leaders in the workforce and beyond. In the fall semester, members of the group attended Team IMPACT's annual Fellowship Summit in Boston. This three-day training allowed for the opportunity to grow personal and professional development skills. In addition, these student-athletes acted as ambassadors to help spread the world across campus and community for the "All In Anywhere 5K" held at Brown University, helping the fellowship class to raise over $111,000 For more information on Team IMPACT please click here.
Noah Smith '25
Why did you apply to be a Team IMPACT Fellow?
"I have always been interested in giving back to the community. Team IMPACT was the perfect opportunity to do this while also incorporating what I love to do every day, soccer. As I've gotten older, I have learned that the real power of sports is what it can accomplish outside of the game."
What are you looking to accomplish in your role?
"I want to make Team IMPACT a household name at PC. I want to make it a part of PC athletes' culture and make it something people are excited about and to be involved with. The goal is to have a Team IMPACT match on every single team at PC."
What do you hope to gain from this experience?
"I hope to develop my skills as a leader and role model. I also want to build lasting relationships with all the Team IMPACT families at PC and the other schools involved."
How will you be able to leave an impact?
"I want to leave an impact at PC for Team IMPACT and other programs like it by hopefully inspiring other student-athletes to use their gifts for more than the game being played on the field and to get more involved with their communities."
Alec Lowe '25
Why did you apply to be a Team IMAPCT Fellow?
"I applied after seeing how much of an impact our match, Jacoby, had on our team, and how his family started to feel like family for all the guys on our team."
What are you looking to accomplish in your role?
"I want to spread awareness about Team IMPACT and bring in as many families as possible to share in this incredible experience."
What do you hope to gain from this experience?
"I hope to gain perspective on life, how sport can be more than just a game and how it can change lives."
How will you be able to leave an impact?
"I want to leave an impact by setting up Providence College for a long relationship with Team IMPACT so that families can participate in the Providence community for years to come."
Alicja Pokrzywa '25
Why did you apply to be a Team IMPACT Fellow?
"Athletics in general have a temporary nature - we have four or five years in our collegiate game - but our impact has the ability to be lifelong. I wanted to get involved in Team Impact because I love how it centers around sports, as sports have been a uniting tool across centuries and generations. More importantly, I applied to Team Impact because it allows me to have an impact that lasts beyond my time as an athlete which can resonate with the Team Impact families forever."
What are you looking to accomplish in your role?
"I am looking forward to getting more involved in the community around me and helping elevate the life and happiness of the families that engage with Team Impact."
What do you hope to gain from this experience?
"I hope to place my team (the volleyball team) and other teams at Providence College in the position to readily have a Team Impact Match. I also want to raise more awareness about Team Impact at the school and help fellow student-athletes realize there are more ways to get involved than just having an impact match."
How will you be able to leave an impact?
"With all the families I meet, I hope to create a genuine and trustworthy relationship that inspires them to participate in Team Impact. Within Providence College, I hope to spread awareness so that student-athletes feel inspired to continue to expand their involvement with Team Impact for years to come."
Why did you apply to be a Team IMPACT Fellow?
"I'm a SAAC representative for women's track and field, and during a meeting, two Team Impact fellows gave a presentation about their experiences with the program. It seemed like such a positive and rewarding opportunity. I'd been looking for ways to become more involved on campus, particularly in a role that allows me to give back, and becoming a Team Impact fellow seemed like a meaningful way to do that. I love spending time with kids and wanted to do something more lighthearted and fun within athletics."
What are you looking to accomplish in your role?
"My main goal was to support Team Impact in any way I could. While our women's team doesn't currently have an active match, our men's team does, and we've spent a lot of time with their match, Innocent. Seeing that connection has truly inspired our team to hopefully have an active match of our own in the future."
What do you hope to gain from this experience?
"I would love the opportunity to build a relationship with an active match, if possible, but I've already gained so much from this experience that I didn't expect. Attending the summer fellowship for Team Impact in Boston was incredible—it was such a positive environment filled with people who truly wanted to connect and work toward a shared goal. Everyone at Team Impact is so hopeful and inspiring. I've made so many friends through this organization and connecting with other Rhode Island schools has been such a fun and rewarding experience."
How will you be able to leave an impact?
"I hope to become more involved, but I believe making a lasting impact comes from staying positive and engaged within the organization. I can see myself remaining involved with Team Impact even after college, and I think that's one of the greatest contributions someone can make to a nonprofit—being a person who genuinely cares and is committed to being a lifelong supporter."
Lexi Brent '26
Why did you apply to be a Team IMPACT Fellow?
"I applied to be a Team IMPACT Fellow after learning about the opportunity through SAAC. The organization's mission to connect children with serious illnesses and disabilities to college sports teams is incredibly inspiring and something I wholeheartedly support. As student-athletes, we are given unique opportunities to make meaningful impacts on our communities, and Team IMPACT provides an amazing platform to create positive, lasting differences in kids' lives. Growing up, I remember how much I looked up to student-athletes, and this role allows me to pay that forward by being a positive role model for as many kids as possible."
What are you looking to accomplish in your role?
"After attending the Team IMPACT summit in Boston over the summer, I had the opportunity to learn from other fellows at schools across the country. Many shared experiences and creative events they organized for their matches, which inspired me to reflect on ways Providence College could become more involved with Team IMPACT. One of the highlights so far has been collaborating with other Rhode Island schools to host the All In 5K, Team IMPACT's largest fundraiser. While the event was a success, there is much more to do to engage our campus with Team IMPACT. My goal this semester is to build on that momentum by organizing more events in the spring, such as movie nights, ice cream socials, and games, where matches from all teams can come together to connect. Additionally, I hope to expand Team IMPACT's presence at PC by encouraging other teams to get involved. Currently, Men's Basketball & Men's Track and Field are the only teams with an active match, but I hope to promote the program and inspire more teams to sign a match."
What do you hope to gain from this experience?
"While I know this experience will help me develop leadership and communication skills while building relationships, my greatest hope is to graduate knowing I made a lasting, positive impact on someone's life. Interacting with matches, including our own match, Innocent, has shown me how even the smallest acts of kindness can create profound effects. I hope to encourage more of our student-athletes to embrace the opportunity to make a similar difference in the lives of these incredible kids."
How will you be able to leave an impact?
"I hope that by promoting Team IMPACT to more student-athletes on campus, I can inspire underclassmen to continue expanding and investing in the organization. Although our schedules are often hectic with classes and athletics, there is always an opportunity to get involved and make a meaningful difference. Through my own involvement, I hope to show that as student-athletes, we are more than just athletes; we have the ability to give back to our community in impactful and diverse ways."
Players Mentioned
