INDIANAPOLIS - The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) announced Tuesday the return of its popular GLVC is ME campaign – a season-long video and social media initiative to share the story of the GLVC student-athlete.

The first edition of the GLVC is ME campaign was released in the fall of the 2015-16 academic year as the Conference's supplement to the NCAA Division II's new branding initiative, "Make It Yours." Following that season, the campaign was recognized as one of the outstanding programs funded by the NCAA Division II Conference Grant Program. 

Over the course of two production shoots in late July and early September, the GLVC created a 30-second video that shows the personal side of a student-athlete representing each of the league's 14 member institutions.

The videos were produced by Greers N Motion, and will be shown on both GLVC Championship and regular-season coverage on the GLVC Sports Network. 

"We are thrilled once again to be able to showcase the story of the GLVC student-athlete," said GLVC Commissioner Jim Naumovich. "This next chapter does not happen without each student willing to be open about their respective journey to the GLVC and their growth as a person since they arrived on campus. One of the greatest takeaways of this campaign is that each person has a story; each student has followed a dream, faced adversity, dealt with a loss, or created lifelong memories while on campus. We are grateful to have been given a glimpse into their lives."   

In addition to the 14 student-athletes representing the league's current membership for the two-year campaign, three additional students were selected to participate in the initiative.

Below are brief previews of the 17 students featured in the videos, which can also be found in the GLVC is ME YouTube playlist HERE.

• Bellarmine University junior basketball player and communications major Parker Chitty grew up in a family where basketball was a religion, and it has been quite the pilgrimage for him to get to Bellarmine, where he's blessed to play the game he loves.
   
• Drury University junior basketball player and psychology major Hailey Diestelkamp broke several records in high school, but soon found her confidence was broke when she arrived in Springfield. All she had to do was put her mind to it.
   
• University of Illinois Springfield junior pitcher and business management major Brayden Jensen grew up wanting to play baseball in college, just like his dad.
   
• University of Indianapolis senior golfer and sports management major Katharina Keilich traveled from Germany to UIndy with dreams of becoming the best student, athlete and person that she could be. Now she is the two-time GLVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, defending NCAA Champion, and a member of the national champion Greyhounds.
   
• Lewis University sophomore runner and computer engineering major Dan Laskero started running competitively after watching his mom run the Chicago Marathon. Now he finds his inspiration from another important woman in his life – his friend Ashley, who recently lost her 16-year battle with cancer.
   
• Maryville University sophomore women's soccer standout and exercise science major Alex Johnson was told at 16 that she needed double-hip surgery and playing soccer in college was no longer in her future. So she just fixed one of them, and has gone on to earn GLVC Freshman of the Year honors.
   
• McKendree University junior wrestler and education major Nick Foster has always been fond of roller coasters, and he's been on one since arriving to campus. A former two-sport athlete with a desire to design his favorite amusement ride, now he's focused on a national championship in wrestling and career as an athletic director.
   
• Missouri S&T junior swimmer and mechanical engineering major Tim Samuelsen is fascinated with how things work, which is why he is so good at being a machine in the water. He has two national championships as proof.
   
• University of Missouri-St. Louis junior golfer and secondary education major Chris Ferris knows that while he pursues his dream of playing professionally, his major will give him the chance to follow through in helping others get to college to pursue theirs.
   
• Quincy University junior and marketing major Aubrey Reis comes from a family of soccer players. And now he gets to play the beautiful game in his hometown.
   
• Rockhurst University junior basketball player and communication science disorders major Madeline Ronshausen has always been taught that nothing is given and everything is earned. And now that she has earned the privilege to play at Rockhurst, she has been given the opportunity to create so many lifelong memories.
   
• University of Southern Indiana junior softball pitcher and biology/pre-dentistry major Jennifer Leonhardt was always overlooked on the field. Since arriving at USI, the 5-foot-2 national champion has now proven that no feat is too small.
   
• Southwest Baptist University sophomore linebacker and mass communications major TJ Morgan never knew the sacrifices his mother made for him when he was younger, but now he understands, and he is truly blessed.
   
• Truman State University junior volleyball standout and exercise science major Lauren Wacker has always loved helping others, which is why she is a libero, and why she wants to be a nurse.
   
• William Jewell College sophomore thrower and secondary education major Taylor Golden grew up in a small town and has always relied on her inner circle, which is perhaps why she has excelled in the throws ring.
   
• University of Indianapolis senior and GLVCSN Extra Credit Student Ambassador and reporter Mallory Moreno has been busy using resources on campus to develop her craft, but now the communications major sees how GLVCSN can benefit both the student and the athlete.
   
• University of Indianapolis junior golfer and industrial engineering major Pilar Echeverria recruited herself to the United States and has found success on the links that allows her the opportunity to return to Guatemala where she is representing her country on the world stage. Echeverria's story will become UIndy's primary spot for the 2019-20 academic year following Keilich's graduation.