Winter 2021 Campus Update

Page 10

ATHLETICS

Former Yak stars extend impact beyond the court In 2006, Yakima Valley College wasn’t on the radar of Anthony Johnson or Shaunte Nance-Johnson. But the couple, looking for a chance to continue their college basketball careers at the same school, found that opportunity playing for the Yaks. Each shined on the court at YVC, and Johnson would go on to capture the national spotlight, earning an ESPY Award nomination for his performance in the University of Montana’s stunning come-from-behind victory over Weber State during the 2010 Big Sky Conference Championship. That triumph, however, was interrupted when Johnson tried to launch a professional basketball career with the NBA D-League Los Angeles D-Fenders. “I remember being out there in LA playing with Matt Barnes, Lamar Odom, Kobe Bryant, and having this out of body experience seeing all of the Lakers’ championships and jerseys of players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar hanging from the rafters,” Johnson said. “I was thinking ‘I’m going to play for the Lakers,’ but then the next day I couldn’t see out of my eye.” The impairment that ended his hope of playing professionally was one that Johnson had struggled with since sufering an injury at age 10, yet it was a secret few knew about. In 2013 Johnson underwent cataract removal surgery on both eyes. Despite those struggles, being in basketball for 15 years gave the couple the relationships and experience they needed to launch the next chapter in their lives. In 2018, they founded the events company Inner Enso. “Basketball, when you break it down, is a live event,” Johnson said. “The event space is a multi-billion dollar industry and we looked up one day and realized we’ve been in the sporting and event space for so long. We knew that we could leverage our relationships and experience into creating compelling content.” Nance-Johnson said Inner Enso focuses on creating events that foster racial inclusion and healing in order to change things at the ground level. That includes school-wide conferences, professional development for school staf, community discussion circles and other speaking engagements. “There’s this huge racial divide and we felt we needed to bring people together, raise awareness of systemic injustices and empower people,” Nance-Johnson said. Inner Enso is working with school districts across the country, from Seattle and Tacoma to Boston. The couple also is looking to start working with schools in the Yakima Valley, which the couple returned to in fall 2019 with their three children. "Something my grandma used to say is 'You might always forget small memories, but you always remember the way people treat you'," Nance-Johnson said. “I remembered all the beautiful people here and the positive energy. We were thinking about where there’s positive energy, where’s a good place to get an education for your kids, someplace safe where you know your neighbor is going to look after your kids — and Yakima came to mind frst.” While more than a decade has gone by since their playing days for the Yaks, the relationships they formed at YVC remain strong. “I don’t think about the championship we won now,” Johnson said. “I think about the practices, the camaraderie, the conversations with coaches away from the game. The championship was cool, but the freshmen I met, all these years later we’re still friends and that’s what I treasure the most.” 9 Yakima Valley College


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Articles inside

College Assistance Migrant Program

1min
page 20

YVC welcomes Bertha Ortega to Board of Trustees

1min
page 19

Q&A with long-time leader Tomás Ybarra

2min
page 18

Gaby Martinez overcomes challenges to find success at YVC

3min
page 17

Summer research gives Steve Isaak a foundation for future success

3min
page 16

STEM courses continue to adapt and provide opportunities for student success

2min
page 14

Grant provides support to students facing housing insecurity

1min
page 13

YVC offers flagger certification training

1min
page 13

YVC student selected for externship at raptor rehabilitation center

1min
page 13

Nursing Program Accreditation

1min
page 12

Surgical Technology collaborates with Confluence Health

1min
page 12

Yakima Valley Vintners earns Platinum Wine honors

1min
page 12

YVC launches new Practical Nursing program

3min
page 11

Former Yak stars extend impact beyond the court

2min
page 10

Student Services offers Zoom lobby to support student success

1min
page 9

Student governments launch online Yak blog

1min
page 9

2021 All-USA Academic Team & All-Washington Academic Team

1min
page 8

Running Start offers new summer pilot program

2min
page 7

YVC approves new strategic plan & mission statement

1min
page 6

Latino students, alumni highlighted in YVC-Univision partnership

1min
page 6

Workforce programs benefit from CARES Act funding

1min
page 6

Larson Gallery and Tasting Room take shape

2min
pages 4-5
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