SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts – American International College men's lacrosse student-athlete and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Vice President Rowan Ruggiero has been named to the national NCAA Division II SAAC, with his term on the Committee to begin on January 19, 2025.

Ruggiero will represent AIC and the Northeast-10 Conference in this role.

"It is such a blessing and an honor to represent AIC and the NE10 on the NCAA DII SAAC. I'm very excited to take on this role and to do what I can to improve the student athlete experience in Division II and the NE10. I look forward to collaborating with other student athletes across the nation," Ruggiero said.

Per the NCAA SAAC website, "The mission of the NCAA Division II SAAC is to enhance the voice of the student-athlete to ensure the total student-athlete experience by promoting opportunity for all student-athletes; protecting student-athlete welfare; and fostering a positive student-athlete image." 

Ruggiero will take part in national SAAC meetings; he will be able to voice concerns and champion causes from student-athletes across the NE10, and in turn bring back to the Conference and the College information that will help enhance the student-athlete experience. 

"It's an amazing opportunity to have Rowan serve on the National SAAC. He brings so much insight into the group. Him serving on the National SAAC is a great opportunity because he will be able to network with many other reps from all around the country, which will broaden our horizons and bring new and exciting ideas back to AIC," said Morgan Martellio, AIC's current SAAC President. 

Ruggiero is no stranger to leadership roles; he recently participated in the NCAA's Student-Athlete Leadership Forum, a multi-day event with nearly 200 student-athletes across all three NCAA divisions as well as coaches and administrators.

Per the NCAA, "Facilitators guided participants through a series of workshops that encouraged introspection and discussion about leadership. Attendees also had the opportunity to attend division-specific governance sessions, participate in a community service activity to support pediatric cancer patients and attend well-being sessions."

"Being able to work, communicate, and collaborate with other like-minded student athletes, coaches and administrators allowed me to learn so much about what it means to be a leader both on and off the field," Ruggiero said of the experience.

Ruggiero is in his second year on the executive board of the AIC SAAC, having served as the Secretary of the organization in 2023-24 prior to being selected as Vice President for 2024-25.

His on-field leadership of the men's lacrosse team has been evident as well. Last season, he played in 14 of the team's 15 contests, helping guide the defense as the Yellow Jackets set a program record for wins and earned their first NE10 victory in nearly a decade with an 8-6 come-from-behind win at Franklin Pierce University.

In the classroom, Ruggiero was named a 2023-24 CSC At-Large Academic All-District selection and was one of an NE10-best 60 student-athletes from AIC to earn the Academic Excellence category of the NE10's Academic Honor Roll in spring 2024, for student-athletes in NE10 sports with a 4.0 grade-point average for the semester.