Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech's Jacelyn Lazore and Kahlil Dover have been selected as recipients of the 2023 Atlantic Coast Conference UNITE Award, which was created to honor individuals affiliated with the league who have made an impact in the areas of racial and social justice. The announcement was made Wednesday by the conference office.
The UNITE Award is an initiative of the ACC's Committee for Racial and Social Justice (CORE - Champions of Racial Equity) and was developed and approved by its 15 member institutions.
The UNITE Award is presented annually to individuals who:
- Best exemplify ACC CORE's mission to promote and encourage racial equity and social justice through education, partnerships, engagement and advocacy;
- Have helped create meaningful, lasting change by improving systems, organizational structures, policies, practices and attitudes;
- Have been a pioneer and/or helped pave the way for minorities either at the institution or in the community
Each school selects its two recipients based on the above criteria and can choose to celebrate their selections at campus events throughout the academic year.
Lazore used her platform as a lacrosse student-athlete at Virginia Tech to highlight the impact Native Americans have on the sport of lacrosse. In 2016, she was a part of a documentary called "Keepers of the Game" which detailed the parallels between the mental aspect of playing lacrosse as a Native American female.
During Lazore's time at Tech, she was heavily involved with Native at VT, a student group dedicated to advancing the visibility of American Indians and other indigenous peoples on campus, by raising awareness of the issues that confront these diverse populations.
Lazore has coached rising middle school and high school players within the Akwesasne Ride Lacrosse Program during summer breaks. She wanted to help young players develop leadership skills, good sportsmanship, and the importance of being on a team.
During the summer of 2023, Lazore served as a resident advisor for the Akwesasne Research Center for Health (ARCH) at Roswell Park in Hogansburg, New York. She assisted with the after-school program, and high school and college summer research internship programs.
Dover used his men's soccer student-athlete platform at Virginia Tech to speak about service, unity, compassion, and the importance of "starting the conversation" through the #LOVE video campaign in 2020.
In his role as the SAAC President at VT, Dover was instrumental in spearheading the first-ever SAAC Unity Walk in October 2021. This event united close to 100 student-athletes, coaches, and staff for the opportunity to discuss how the events of 2020 impacted their experience and how to move from awareness to action in promoting social and racial justice.
In January 2021, Dover attended the virtual Black Student-Athlete Summit. The event brought together leaders and professionals to lead discussions around the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, health inequities exposed through COVID-19, and student-athlete responses to social injustices that were highlighted in 2020.
In Dover's senior year, his success in the classroom, on the field, and within the community earned him the Skeleton Award for Academic Excellence. The award is the highest designation handed out by Tech's athletics department.
The UNITE Award recipients were recognized as part of a one-hour show on SiriusXM ACC Radio, Channel 371 hosted by Roddy Jones and Dalen Cuff.
2023 UNITE Award Recipients
Boston College: John Austin & Joana Maynard
Clemson: Dr. James E. (Jim) Bostic Jr. & Dr. Rhondda Thomas
Duke: Dr. Kevin White & Marissa Young
Florida State: Angel Gray & Corey Simon
Georgia Tech: Charles Easley & Carla Gilson
Louisville: Wade Houston & Alyssa Murphy
Miami: Dr. Laura Kohn-Wood & Dr. Donald Spivey
North Carolina: Ricky Lanier & Karen Stevenson
NC State: Chavonda Jacobs-Young & Cullen Jones
Notre Dame: JP Abercrumbie & Justin Morrow
Pitt: Ron Idoko & Sheila I. Velez Martinez
Syracuse: Clothilde Ewing & Noah Singlemann
Virginia: Milla Ciprian & Craig Littlepage
Virginia Tech: Kahlil Dover & Jacelyn Lazore
Wake Forest: Dr. Larry Hopkins & Professor Muriel "Beth" Hopkins