Welcome to the May edition of The #WhyD3 Show. This is a monthly show dedicated to Division III and its student-athletes. We will talk about what's happening throughout DIII especially off the fields and courts and about those who are trying to make their campuses or communities better places.

In the Student-Athlete Spotlight, we talk with Liam Crotty who is a member of the North Central football team and helps cover many other student-athletes and teams for the Cardinals. But it's the fact Liam has Autism and it wasn't even a part of the conversation when he was being recruited in high school that makes Crotty's story so amazing. Find out why Crotty says Autism is "not a disability, it's just a different ability."

We also talk to another student-athlete who is leading by example by chairing the Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Stevens Institute of Technology senior Amanda Ingersoll served as vice-chair last year and will lead the 24-member group towards next year's NCAA National Convention. Ingersoll talks about what the National SAAC wants to accomplish in the year ahead, what they are doing to communicate with the hundreds of thousands of Division III student-athletes, and what initiatives will they focus on for the betterment of Division III student-athletes. Ingersoll, who is a mechanical engineering major, also talks about her experiences playing on the Ducks women's lacrosse team and what her future has in store after graduating this month.

You will also hear from the Division III SAAC Vice-Chair Domenic Fraboni, a football player for Concordia-Moorhead, on what it means to be a student-athlete in Division III. And hear from Endicott College student-athletes who were once in Division I, but transferred to the Gulls and have a whole new appreciation for Division III.
We also take a look at some of the decisions by the Division III Presidents Council including a potential dues increase and changes to the women's basketball and women's lacrosse tournaments next year.

And in the May edition of the Honor Roll, we tip our hat to student-athletes who are trying to make their communities better by either pushing for acceptance of all diversities, building a playground for children in Central America, raising money for Cerebral Palsy (even if they have fun doing it), and even cutting off their hair! We also congratulate a pioneer in athletics at the only deaf college in the world.

Of course we also have this month's #WhyD3 in Three Words Project. Many sent us their student-athletes describing why they love or chose Division III in just three words.

To learn more about The #WhyD3 Show, check out this brief introduction here and read the official announcement here. 

We also want to hear why student-athletes love Division III. For more information, click here.