KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association honors Rogers State University’s Mariana Flores as its 2022-23 SAAC Mentor of the Year.
 
Rogers State’s Mariana Flores was named the Association’s SAAC Mentor of the Year for the 2022-23 academic year. MIAA Commissioner Mike Racy will present Flores with the SAAC Mentor of the Year award on Friday, September 22, during halftime of the Hillcats home women's soccer match.
 
The MIAA SAAC Mentor of the Year is awarded to an individual who has had a profound impact on the lives of student-athletes on campus throughout the year or throughout his/her career.
 
“This is one of my favorite awards I get to present on campus each year,” said MIAA Commissioner Racy. “Mentoring is such an important skill to have, and each year MIAA student-athletes select the administrator they judge to be the best mentor on one of our campuses. Congratulations Mariana on receiving this year’s award!”

After graduating from RSU with a degree in psychology and fitness management, Flores joined the Hillcats Athletic staff as a graduate assistant for student-athlete development and wellness.
 
A former MIAA student-athlete, Flores helped lead the Hillcats women’s golf team to the program’s first trip to the NCAA Division II National Championship. She was also the individual runner-up at the 2021 MIAA Women’s Golf Championship.
 
Flores has been the staff advisor of SAAC for the past two years. She leads the charge is getting RSU’s SAAC involved in the community, whether it is organizing a day for RSU athletics, welcoming local elementary schools on their first day of school, participating in a local Food Truck Thursday event, or finding ways to help raise money for the Make-A-Wish organization.
 
Not only has she done stuff for the community of Claremore, but she also has put a huge emphasis on student-athletes’ mental health. Flores educates RSU student-athletes on the importance of mental health and has made herself available to anyone who may need to talk. Additionally, she has done all of this while working towards her master’s in community counseling.

“Mariana has brought so much positivity and joy to the student-athletes at RSU, and anyone that knows her can tell that being a mentor is her favorite part of the job. She has left an indelible impression on everyone that she has worked with and truly deserves to be recognized for her hard work and dedication to improving SAAC at Rogers State.” – Justin Noble, RSU Assistant AD for External Operations.
 
“Mariana has been a role model for all the SAAC members. She continuously works hard to make sure we are taken care of. Her hard work and dedication have made SAAC more united and involved. RSU Athletics would not be what it is now if it was not for everything Mariana has done. Her attitude, passion, and determination have made an impact on every single one of us, and we know that it will continue allowing her to succeed and change other people’s lives.” – Raquel Flores, SAAC President 2022-23

The Hillcats home soccer match is set to begin at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, September 22, at RSU’s Soldier Field in Claremore, Okla. Watch the action live on The MIAA Network.