During her undergraduate years, Nadia Torkman distinguished herself in a substantial way. The Chico State women’s track & field standout earned not one, but two bachelor’s degrees; racked up an enviable number of academic awards, and created a multimedia campaign through the Athletics department, “Scratch the Stigma,” that addressed mental health and wellness. Now a grad student, Torkman continues to provide her fellow student-athletes with resources to better handle the present while preparing for their post-college future. Her dedication to sharing this real-world education makes Torkman the latest Wildcat of the Week.
Torkman is the organizer of ’CatsSkills, an online program to help foster the complete student-athlete through leadership, personal, and professional development, as well as community engagement. Since debuting in October, ’CatsSkills has proven to be a tremendous success.
“I was definitely nervous about how students would buy into the program, especially with launching it virtually,” Torkman said. “I’m excited to see the level of engagement we’ve experienced this (academic year). Our presenters have been very appreciative as well. They say they also gain something out of the experience.”
’CatsSkills has served up a variety of motivational and educational webinars, collaborating with select professionals among Chico State’s faculty and staff, alumni, and other experts in their respective fields. The consistent series of presentations discuss the tools student-athletes need for improving self-reflection, personal growth, cultural sensitivity and understanding, and career readiness.
In her current role as the Chico State Athletics leadership and engagement graduate intern, Torkman has worked closely with Director of Athletics Anita Barker and the department’s compliance coordinator Shannon Hall to make ’CatsSkills a reality. Torkman used the experience she gained as the Athletics department’s compliance intern in 2019–20 to help build the foundations of the program.
“Anita and Shannon pitched their idea (for what turned into ’CatsSkills) in late August, and then it took about a month to research and put a plan together for the fall semester,” Torkman said. “Based on my work ethic and my results from last year (with the “Scratch the Stigma” campaign and her work in the compliance office), they trusted me to take and run with it.
“I utilized my graduate classes for further research on student-athlete development and career preparedness and behavioral tendencies. Anita and Shannon were both very encouraging and helped me utilize their resources and connections to hone in on the direction we wanted to go, and helped me make sure we put out the best product possible.”
The next ’CatsSkills online presentation is arguably the most impressive yet. The first of seven scheduled spring programs is in association with the Chico State Alumni Association, and takes place this Wednesday, February 17 at 3 p.m. “Power Players and Leadership” features Chico State President Gayle Hutchinson, and former Wildcat athletes Alisha Valavanis (currently CEO and General Manager of the four-time WNBA champion Seattle Storm) and Alexa-Benson Valavanis (President and CEO of the North Valley Community Foundation) sharing their leadership experiences and providing insight into how people can be proactive in building for the future.
“I think this is going to be an awesome event,” Torkman said. “What is different about this (’CatsSkills webinar) is it’s open to pretty much the general public and anyone who’s interested, instead of just our student-athletes.”
Those interested in viewing “Power Players and Leadership” must register for access to the free webinar.
CLICK ON THIS LINK TO REGISTER.
Upcoming ’CatsSkills topics include three webinars centering on nutrition (Foundations of Sports Nutrition, Nutrition and Injury Prevention, and Nutritional Supplements), and presentations entitled Competing After College, Establishing Your Brand, and Mental Health Matters. For more information on ’CatsSkills and upcoming webinars,
CLICK HERE.
Torkman, who operates remotely from her residence in San Diego, handles all the nuts and bolts of ’CatsSkills, from booking guest speakers and setting up Zoom links to providing content for the program’s Twitter and Instagram pages.
“Program planning, connecting with the speakers, marketing, engagement retention…I do everything,” Torkman said. “I’ve had some help with securing sponsors, and I’ve relied on Anita and Shannon to help find potential speakers. We’re lucky to have a great alumni base to draw upon as speakers.”
The program has already earned some well-deserved recognition. In December, ’CatsSkills was nominated for the NCAA Division II Award of Excellence, a national award honoring the division’s best community engagement activity or event that promotes student-athletes giving back and serving as leaders within their communities.
Ironically, ’CatsSkills might not have gotten off the ground if not for a change in Torkman’s post-graduate game plan.
“I was originally enrolled in the public policy master’s program at UC San Diego,” she said. “I did start the program, but after a month I made the decision to withdraw and transition into Chico State’s public administration master’s program, because I’d already been accepted.”
Despite devoting 15-20 hours a week to ’CatsSkills, Torkman feels her studies are progressing nicely.
“I had a great first semester in the master’s program,” she said. “It’s definitely testing my time management and concentration skills. It’s definitely different working from home. You don’t know exactly when to close the computer and walk away. But things have been good. It’s a good fit for me.”
The Torkman-led “Scratch the Stigma” multimedia campaign earned her the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) 2019–20 Impact Award, presented to one conference student-athlete who has exemplified leadership through participation in community service and engagement activities while maintaining dedication to academics and athletics. Among her many academic honors, it’s the one she’s most proud of.
“The Impact Award has a special meaning for me,” Torkman said. “Seeing other amazing Chico State female student-athletes like Claire Wayne and Haley Kroll win the award, it inspired me to follow along the same path of creating an impact and contributing something to my community.”
Torkman is also pleased that this year’s Chico State Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) plans to resume the “Scratch the Stigma” campaign later this spring.
“SAAC decided to continue utilizing the campaign in order to highlight Mental Health Awareness Month in May,” Torkman said. “That’s definitely gratifying that they decided to pick up where I left off and continue to highlight a cause that is extremely relevant today, especially in this virtual world.”
Amidst her studies and ’CatsSkills responsibilities, Torkman takes time to exercise regularly. A talented high jumper and javelin thrower, she still possesses a year of athletic eligibility, and is weighing the possibility of returning to track & field competition for Chico State.
“I’m unsure whether I’m going to compete again collegiately, but I want to keep in some kind of shape,” Torkman said. “I have access to a gym, and I get out and run. Just going to the beach and taking time to get outside has been a big help physically and mentally. I’ll be enrolled at Chico State in 2022, so we’ll see how it all shakes out.”
What is sure is that Torkman’s efforts with ’CatsSkills has been a boon to the Wildcat Athletics community, and could very well serve as a career springboard for her to develop other programs to assist student-athletes.
“I can see that being a potential future path for me,” Torkman said. “I actually just attended an emerging leader’s seminar, and it gave me the inspiration and motivation to continue my work in intercollegiate athletics. Having an impact on individuals is something that I look for, and continue to look for, in a position to enact change and make an impact on my community.”
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