The College of New Jersey was in the house at ESPN’s star-studded ESPY Awards in Los Angeles last week as rising sophomore Conor Campbell was honored for mentoring children in an after-school program in Trenton.
Campbell received the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award for his work with the Academic Sports Academy at the Hedgepeth-Williams Intermediate School as part of TCNJ’s Bonner Community Scholars program. He said the $10,000 that comes with the award will be put back into the academy, which offers low-income students tutoring, recreational sports, and other enrichment opportunities.
“It’s a really unbelievable program and a great community,” Campbell said. “We just try to level the playing field for the kids,” Campbell said.
He started a soccer program for elementary school students and has been a vocal advocate for the academy, reaching out to business and community leaders to garner more resources — from sports equipment to financial literacy trainers — to “make the experience of the inner-city kids the best that it can be.”
Former NBA player and college alumnus Greg Grant ’89 has run the academy for two decades, relying on TCNJ’s Bonner Community Scholars for staffing, which keeps costs down for parents who pay $80 per month. It serves 80-100 children per year, Grant said.
Bonner Scholars complete 300 hours of service and training per year with local organizations, and in return receive a need-based scholarship. For Campbell, the Academic Sports Academy was a good fit.
“Conor was kind of shy when he started — it took him some time to warm up to the kids but once he did it was perfect,” Grant said. “He really connected with the kids. They love seeing him.”
Campbell said he has built a strong relationship with the young students.
“We look forward to seeing each other each day and sharing our ups and downs in the classroom. I have seen a big improvement in the students’ attitudes toward learning, he said. “With all of their homework completed correctly and on time, the students say they are doing better in school.”
ESPN’s Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards on July 11 were hosted by tennis great Serena Williams and broadcast on ABC. Campbell attended with his brother Salvatore, who graduated in 2020.
“I am a Jersey guy through and through, representing my schools, state, and family on the national and global stage at the ESPYs,” Campbell said.
Campbell played youth soccer and was on the team at Bergen County Technical High School in Teterboro. He hopes to play for TCNJ next year while continuing at the academy, where he works about 10 hours a week.
An economics major, he said balancing all his commitments can be a challenge, but the academy experience has been a highlight.
“Mr. Greg (Grant) is one of my heroes…he really gives back to the city,” Conor said. “My work with the kids in Trenton is very important to me because it allows me to use the gifts and talents that God has given me to serve others and to have a positive impact.”
— Patricia Alex