Great Lakes Wire

The Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) has announced Taylor Priestley as one of the three student-athletes to receive the 2025 IWLCA Community Awareness Award. This award recognizes students who have significantly contributed to their communities during the academic year.

Priestley, a senior Education major at Northern Michigan University (NMU), received the Division II Community Awareness Award for her leadership in promoting mental health awareness among student-athletes. She founded the "Beyond an Athlete" blog and co-founded Cat's Connect, NMU's first student-athlete mental health awareness organization. Her initiatives include Student-Athlete Mental Health Week, QPR suicide prevention training, and various mental health awareness games for NMU athletics.

Head coach Lindsey (LeMay) Majkrzak expressed pride in Priestley's achievements: "I am so proud of and overjoyed for Taylor for receiving this award. There is no one more deserving."

Emily Meier, Director of Case Management Services of the NMU CARE Team, praised Priestley's efforts: "Taylor's advocacy got Cats Connect off the ground in Winter 2025 as an official student organization that supports students' complete wellbeing."

Priestley's work includes organizing events such as yoga sessions and therapy dog visits while maintaining her competitive season commitments. Her contributions have made a lasting impact on NMU's athletic community.