- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

Trojan volleyball player surprised by sneaky proposal from boyfriend disguised as mascot

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 15:32:10 +0000

One University of Arkansas at Little Rock student-athlete got the surprise of her life when the Trojan mascot she was taking a picture with turned out to be her sneaky boyfriend . Sydnee Martin, a senior player, was celebrating with the rest of her teammates on Friday, Sept. 21, after winning a victory over South Alabama in the team’s home opener at the Jack Stephens Center. Just before the game, Martin received a call from her boyfriend of six years, Jacob Bland, telling her that he was sorry he had to miss her game and that he would see her in a few weeks. After the game, the Trojan mascot was there spreading cheer among the players, coaches, and fans, so the seniors on the team spontaneously decided to take a group picture with Sporticus. Then, someone suggested that all the seniors take individual pictures with the mascot, and that’s when things started to get weird for Martin. It turns out the pictures weren’t so spontaneous after all. The move was actually engineered by two of Martin’s teammates and friends, Veronica Marin and Taylor Lindberg, who were in on the surprise. “We took a group picture, and then they said we are taking individual pictures. Veronica went first, and then I went,” Martin said. “It was funny because he got down on one knee and patted his knee to sit on it. I was like, ‘No, I’m not going to do it.’ After I shook my head no that I would not sit on his knee, I ended up doing it anyways for a picture. After I stood up, he motioned for me to turn around. I turned around, and I didn’t understand what was going on. Then Taylor started yelling to close my eyes. Why do I need to close my eyes? I hear the crowd start freaking out, and then it clicked for me that I knew what was going on.” When Martin turned around, Bland, 22, of Tampa, Florida, was down on one knee, grinning ear to ear, holding an engagement ring. “I really didn’t believe it,” Martin said. “I had no idea he was coming. I freaked out and backed away. At first, I didn’t see the ring. I just saw him, and then I saw the ring. He didn’t say anything. I just nodded my head yes.” Bland said the secret proposal required a lot of planning. He enlisted the help of Martin’s teammates, who helped him get permission to dress up as the mascot. He also enlisted the help of two other friends to surprise Martin and record the proposal.

Sydnee Martin poses for a picture with the Trojan mascot just before he reveals himself as her boyfriend, Jacob Bland. Photo by Ben Krain.

“I did a lot to roil her up in a sense,” Bland said. “I texted her before the game and told her good luck and to have fun with your first home game of the season. I had two of our friends from high school, one came from Texas and one came from Arizona, to help take pictures. She didn’t know they were coming, so that was a nice surprise for her as well. The biggest thing was making sure she didn’t know I was going to be there.” Martin and Bland are planning a summer wedding in California, near their hometown of Mission Viejo. They met when Bland transferred to Martin’s school in third grade. Martin, who was in second grade at the time, became good friends with Bland’s little sister. The two were high school sweethearts and started dating when Martin was a sophomore and Bland a junior. Five out of six years of their romantic relationship has been long distance, with Bland attending college at Grand Canyon University in Arizona, where he graduated last December with a bachelor’s degree in sports management, and Martin at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “When the volleyball coaches recruited me, they asked me to come for a visit,” Martin said. “I stepped on the campus and fell in love with the place, and I knew it was where I was supposed to be. I’ve been a student-athlete all my life, and I love it.” Martin will graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree in math and a minor in secondary education. After her wedding, Martin plans to move to Florida with Bland and work as a math teacher and volleyball coach. Martin also said that the surprise proposal allowed Bland to fulfill a long-held desire to serve as a mascot. “He had no previous experience as a mascot, but I know he always wanted to be one,” Martin said. “He had a lot of fun being Trojan Man, and everybody told him he did a really good job, which doesn’t surprise me because Jacob has that personality.” At Grand Canyon University, Bland always wished that he could audition to be the school’s mascot, Thunder the Antelope. However, Bland was disheartened when he found out he did not meet the height and weight requirements to be the mascot. He got his chance at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “I’m a guy who likes to have a lot of fun and have a lot of school spirit, so this was a good opportunity for that,” Bland said. “Being the mascot was a lot of fun. There were times where I had a couple of wardrobe malfunctions, but it was fun just being able to walk around and interact without them knowing who I was. I’ve never seen a proposal like this before. I knew it would be special for Sydnee, and it would be something she would never forget. I am super excited that I can make this journey with her and see what we have in store for us in the months and years ahead.”

The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock volleyball team congratulates senior Sydnee Martin, who just got engaged to her boyfriend, Jacob Bland. Photo by Ben Krain.

Small town: Big heart

Janea Snyder — Tue, 08 May 2018 19:44:08 +0000

Graduating senior James Sellers credits his chance encounter with a University of Arkansas at Little Rock recruiter for helping him get to where he is today. Sellers, 22, met ��Vlog��ý Little Rock recruiter Louis Scivally at College Day at DeQueen High School four years ago. At the time, Sellers wasn’t sure of the college application process, and Scivally steered him toward scholarship opportunities and connected him with advisors. After visiting ��Vlog��ý Little Rock during a Discover Day, Sellers made up his mind. He enrolled at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in fall 2014, deciding on a chemistry major with a biology minor. College life was unfamiliar territory to Sellers, who is the first in his immediate family to get a university education. “When I got here, I really didn’t understand how to college,” he said. “My GPA was decent, but not impressive. Dr. Johanna Lewis, my advisor in CALS [College of Arts, Letters and Sciences], told me I needed to get my act together if I wanted to be a competitive applicant to medical school. She has been a huge influence on me and my future.” Sellers took Lewis’ advice and got to work. He graduates May 12 with a 3.77 GPA. He also is the recipient of this year’s American Institute of Chemistry Outstanding Graduating Senior Award and has been accepted into the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine Class of 2022. In four years, Sellers has not only mastered the academic side of college but has also seized leadership opportunities that have helped him evolve from a teenager focused on self to a young adult focused on service. “Who I was coming in and who I am going out are two different people,” he said. “I don’t want to think of where I’d be if I didn’t come here. I’ve loved every moment of being at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. It has prepared me for the difficult higher education I’m about to go into, and I know what it takes to succeed. I know how to handle a tough course load and do it well.” Sellers, who grew up in Gillham (population: 188), was a bit reserved when he arrived on campus, but he quickly became friends with the students living on West Hall’s fourth floor. During his first semester, the Chancellor’s Leadership Corps hosted a Boys Will Be Girls pageant as a fundraiser. Sellers was a good sport and donned a dress. “That definitely got me out of my shell,” he recalled, “and something so goofy was the catalyst for the start of many good friendships.” Later that year, he became the university’s Trojan Man mascot and traveled with the team to the NCAA tournament in Tempe, Arizona. He also started a new student organization dedicated to hanging out with friends and meeting new ones. “I was walking across campus with friends and thought ‘What if we just sat around in lawn chairs at random spots on campus?’” he said. Thus, the Lawn Chair Club was born, and Sellers, as the founder, became “Grandpappy James.” At the end of his freshman year, Sellers received the Campus Living Resident of the Year and Chancellor’s Leadership Corps Male of the Year awards. He became even more involved as a sophomore, joining Student Government Association, Pi Kappa Alpha, and serving as director of involvement for the Maroon Mob. He has been a part of the Chancellor’s Leadership Corps and Science Scholars Program and started tutoring students in chemistry. He also became a resident assistant for the following three years – two years in West Hall and one year in South Hall. “Being an RA has been the highlight of my undergrad experience because it has taught me that college isn’t about me. It’s about us,” he said. “It taught me how to care about other people. We’ve had lot of fun, goofy times but also serious moments, and through it all, it has helped me become a leader and a mentor.” By the middle of his sophomore year, Sellers was feeling some burn-out and backed off many of his extracurricular activities. “I got so busy and realized I was doing a whole lot of things half-way,” he said. He began focusing on medical school applications and preparing for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). He tracked his study time, logging 310 hours of MCAT preparation. His disciplined approach paid off, but not without a bittersweet moment. On the day before the exam, Sellers’ longtime family friend and mentor, Frances Smith, succumbed to terminal liver cancer. Sellers had met Frances and her husband Don at church when he was in fourth grade. “They asked me if I wanted to come back to church the next week and offered to drive me,” Sellers recalled. “One week turned into seven years. She was, in a lot of ways, the closest thing I had to grandma.” Later, Frances helped Sellers get his first job at Walmart, where she worked as a hiring associate. Sellers worked there for three years and plans to work there again this summer prior to medical school. “She was the most passionate person about me getting into medical school,” Sellers said. “She knew I had dreams, and she pushed me. She wanted to be at my white coat ceremony more than anything.” Sellers has remained involved with church ever since meeting Frances. After his freshman year, Sellers and members of First Baptist Church of DeQueen traveled to Ethiopia on a mission trip with Children’s Hope Chest International, an organization that assists impoverished families and orphans. Sellers has spent the past three summers traveling to Ethiopia and forming strong bonds with the children and families. He has his own sponsor child, Abenezer, that he gets to see every year. His volunteer work has helped him feel gratitude for his education and experiences and has steered him to a career in which he can help others. “I want what I do to have purpose,” he said. “I want meaning out of my life. I feel like you can only get that through helping others. When I’m old and gray, looking back at all that I’ve done in life and the impact that I left on this world, I refuse to feel anything but joy and fulfillment.” James Sellers learned to ride a unicycle while living in West Hall his freshman year. He graduates May 12 and begins medical school this fall. Photo by Benjamin Krain.

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

Trojan volleyball player surprised by sneaky proposal from boyfriend disguised as mascot

Small town: Big heart

- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock