RLA - Where R They Now: Jillian Grant in Cape Town
Jun 16 | Women's Track & Field
By Stephanie Mamakas
ScarletKnights.com
Following demanding hours of class and training, Rutgers student-athletes pride themselves in finding time to participate in community service and outreach.
A year removed from those endless days of schoolwork, practice and community service, former Scarlet Knight track and field sprinter, Jillian Grant, still recalls the four word mantra she saw inscribed on various buildings and banners around her, "Jersey Roots, Global Reach." Grant used her passion of volunteering to transform that motto into a reality during her time overseas this summer.
"I volunteered with DTR, which is Dreams to Reality, a non-profit organization in Cape Town South Africa," said Grant. "They are at six different schools that help with the kids' lives and the community in general."
Through DTR there were three programs to volunteer through childcare, surf outreach, and sport development. For Grant, being a former student-athlete made her decision easy, volunteering through the sport development program. During her two-week stay, Grant served as the school's Physical Trainer (PT), which is the equivalent of a P.E. teacher in the United States.
"Each day we would have different classes. We would do drills and play games. Of course they loved playing soccer and net ball, which is what they call basketball. With the older kids, I did more physical training, squats and sit-ups," explained Grant.
Grant combined her passion for athletics with her desire to help, a similar lifestyle to her time "On the Banks." Grant was a member of the 2014 executive board for Rutgers Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). One initiative of SAAC includes student-athlete outreach in various community service.
"Being with Shawn, Sheryl (of Rutgers Leadership Academy) and SAAC was one of the main reasons I wanted to continue volunteering," said Grant. "Being able to volunteer throughout college and just seeing the importance, seeing how the community responded to it, especially the children.
"The kids make you feel like a celebrity, they idolize you, they look up to you. It is great to be a role model to them. Even if you don't see them ever again just having that positive presence in the moment you're with them I think it really affects kids in a positive way."
While being an active member in the community, Grant helped guide Rutgers 4x100 relay to a silver medal at the 2014 AAC Outdoor Championships. In her senior season, Grant was crowned the Rutgers Invite Champion in the 400m and 4x400m relay, while also placing second with the 4x400m relay team at the Metropolitan Championships. Amongst her success on the track, Grant earned Academic All-Big Ten accolades.
Through it all, Grant always had great pride in representing the block R on and off the track. And following her trip to Africa, the Old Bridge, N.J., native has added pride in showing off where she comes from.
"I found so much more importance in my roots being from New Jersey, being from America and going to Rutgers when I was in Africa," said Grant. "Seeing that the people there were so proud of where they came from even though they came from nothing.
"Rutgers taught me to be prideful of who I am, be comfortable with who I am and to give credit to where I started. I am so proud to be a former student-athlete. Everywhere I go, if I can I will always bring up the fact that I ran track at Rutgers. It just opened the doors for me as far as the path I want to go and continuing to figure out the path I want to go on because it gave me a background of who I am."
Grant started her journey at ESPN, where she is currently a Marketing Coordinator under CreativeWorks. Grant handles sponsorship integration and added value to ESPN sports and programs, including NFL, NBA, Tennis, Soccer, and news and information shows.
As Grant paves out her life journey, she still hopes to make a difference to the kids that she gained an eternal connection with in Cape Town.
"I want to go back as soon as I can. That is how much these kids impacted me. I impacted them, but they impacted my life way more and they didn't even realize it. They were so welcoming. They were so happy for me to be there. They didn't want any type of materialistic things, but when you give them gifts they are so appreciative," said Grant.
Grant remains invested in bettering the native children's lives and is set to fund schooling for two of the children. The former track runner also hopes to make her mark on their athletic lives as well.
The sprinter found added investment in a running club run by teacher, Trevor Busby. The club is an outlet for kids through kindergarten to high school to find fun and competition in running. However, due to limited resources, the kids run in dress shoes or bare foot. Grant is in the process of collecting donations to send old running shoes and equipment to help these kids continue to find joy in running just as she once did.
Grant's helpful nature and pride in where she came from will undoubtedly be spread for years to come.
"Jersey Roots, Global Reach - This is the perfect motto for my life," said Grant. "It is what Rutgers is about and it is what my life is going towards being about."
To learn more on how you can help Grant in her efforts, please email Jilliantylgrant@gmail.com.
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