AUBURN, Ala. - Auburn men's track and field student-athlete David Edmondson was named the male recipient of the Fall 2022 PNC Achievers Award last month. The award is given out to student-athletes based on their well-rounded achievement through leadership, academic success, community engagement and in competition.
Edmondson, who grew up in Old Harbour, Jamaica, has found a second home in Auburn where the senior has thrived both on and off the track. He still remembers being recruited to Auburn and all the opportunities that came with it.
"At home we don't have a lot of facilities, we don't have a lot of coaching, and I was doing the decathlon at the time," Edmondson said. "Seeing what Auburn had and seeing how I would actually be able to balance and do well in both school and track as I have tried to over the years was definitely a major part of why I chose Auburn."
Auburn's engineering program was a major sell for Edmondson, too. His father has a mechanical engineering degree while his mother and brothers are all accomplished in the field as well. After seeing their success, Edmondson felt it was only right to follow in their footsteps.
Here is Edmondson, in his own words, talking about the PNC Achiever Award and what goes into being a well-rounded student-athlete at Auburn.
What does it mean to be a PNC achiever?
Edmondson: There are so many other people that have gotten this award before me who have dedicated a lot of time and effort to doing well not only in the classroom and in their sport but also being a leader in Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and all of that. For me to be recognized for all the work I have done in SAAC – volunteer work, CONNECT, work as a mechanical engineer, and on the track – I am grateful. Balancing all of those is really difficult with lots of long nights of work and thinking about what to do with a tough schedule when we travel. I am grateful and thankful for being recognized for all the effort I have put into everything I have done over the years, and this is a reward for all of that. I have been nominated for this award before. I think this is my third time. So, when I heard I was nominated, I wasn't as excited this time. I just thought, "Oh, I hope I can make it all the way this time." Going down to the final two, I don't think I've ever been down to the final two before, so I was really excited and grateful for that. When I heard I had won, I thought to myself "finally." I was jumping for joy. I called my mother immediately and told her we finally got it. There was a mutual agreement in terms of emotion and what it meant.
What are some of the things you do away from the track?
Edmondson: I am involved in SAAC and have been the Chairperson of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for the last two-and-a-half years after going to the Black Student-Athlete Summit. After being a part of that and seeing how my mentor in diversity and inclusion, Keira McCarrell (2021 PNC Achiever winner), has done it – and now to be Chairperson, it has been fun to help and get Auburn's campus and Auburn Athletics more involved in diversity and inclusion. Last summer, I stayed in the U.S. and being from Jamaica, I have never stayed in the U.S. over the summer before. Since I stayed, I wanted to get involved. That is when we have the most time with fall training in the fall and in the spring. I had the opportunity to go to Birmingham to help a young lady and her son finish up their house. We built a foundation. It was really fun being able to make an impact.
What is your why? Where does your motivation come from?
Edmondson: My why is not exactly physical. When I was a kid, I was always self-motivated. I always wanted to compete, always wanted to be the best, and I think that has pushed me for a very long time. As I have progressed, every institution I have gone to or everywhere I have been, my motto has been, "Whatever I do, do it to the best of my ability." That has been the motto for my entire life whether it be track, school or leadership – to do what I am doing to the best of my ability regardless of the situation. Back at home, we tend to make the best of things. While you might not have certain things available for you, you look at the good that you can make out of it. That has been my why. I also want to make my parents proud like everyone else and make my country proud as well because I am an international student. So, I hope to flourish, make everyone proud and make an impact.
What is your major and what do you want to do with it?
Edmondson: I gravitated toward mechanical engineering because my father, mother and brothers all did something in the technical field, and it gives me the most opportunity. I also knew I wanted to do engineering because I was good at math and good at physics, and while I knew I wanted to do engineering, I just didn't know which one. I have been here four years, and in all the classes I have taken, I took a class called System Dynamic and Controls, which was said to be one of the hardest courses in engineering. A lot of people don't like it, but some of my friends and I got a knack for it, so we enjoyed it very much. System Dynamics, and Controls is part of robotics, and I want to get into that aspect of mechanical engineering. Beyond that, my country doesn't have a lot of that kind of expertise. So, to gain that knowledge and go back home to hopefully make a change with the research I would have done in grad school or the experience I would have gotten at a job, my ultimate goal is to uplift my country in any way.
What does the Auburn Family mean to you?
Edmondson: In traveling to different schools, I have heard many different experiences from different athletes. I think the Auburn Family knows how to make someone feel welcome. Auburn is far from home, but I don't feel alienated here as much as I hear what other students might go through. I think I was accepted by most here, and I felt there were people that gravitated around me. Friends and staff gravitated around me and pushed me to believe in myself and to be myself in any situation. Those people are what represent the Auburn Family and what the Auburn Family should feel like to me and does feel like to me. That is how I see the Auburn Family – as specific people or the people around Auburn making you feel like you belong and pushing you to be your best in everything that you do. That aligns with the motto I have had all my life, so I am glad I could come here and follow that.
