2025 was a big year for the Matrix Fitness initiative, Project COURAGE. And there are only plans to keep growing in its impact on students and professionals in fitness-related fields.
In the September/October 2024 issue of Campus Rec Magazine, we highlighted a Matrix Fitness initiative known as Project COURAGE.
The “COURAGE” acronym stands for Creating Opportunities for the Under Represented through Authenticity, Generosity and Engagement, and the project empowers students and professionals at the 107 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the U.S. to explore fitness-related fields.
Over the past year, Project COURAGE has seen exponential growth. The number of annual scholarship applicants doubled, and the initiative awarded seven scholarships in early 2025.
Four recipients chose to use their scholarship to attend the Emerging Recreational Sports Leaders Conference 2025 (ERSL) at Howard University:
- Adebamike Adekunle, an education leadership student at Texas Southern University.
- Wayne Gibbs, the director of Recreational Services at Lincoln University.
- Faith Shakoor, a biology student at Texas Southern University.
- Braxton Upton, an exercise science student at Central State University.
Three recipients chose to use their scholarship to attend the NIRSA 2025 Annual Conference:
- Brittany Brooks, a recreation facility manager at Jackson State University.
- Gerald Davis, the director of the Ralph H. Boston Wellness Center at Tennessee State University.
- Isaiah Taylor, a business administration student at North Carolina Central University.
For Brooks, it was her first time attending the NIRSA Annual Conference, and she has been forever impacted by the experience. “Being awarded the Project COURAGE scholarship by Matrix was an honor,” she said. “I left the conference with confidence about my career choice. It made me love recreation even more.”
Over at North Carolina Central University, James Leach, the director of Campus Recreation and Wellness, saw tremendous potential in student Isaiah Taylor and knew he should attend the 2025 NIRSA Annual Conference. Without Project COURAGE, it wouldn’t have been possible.
“Not only was Isaiah awarded the scholarship, but this opportunity enabled him to attend the NIRSA Annual Conference, connect with national peers, and return with innovative ideas and fresh perspectives that strengthened our programs,” shared Leach. “The story doesn’t end there. Isaiah graduated, and the knowledge, confidence and network he built at the conference directly contributed to him securing a job in the field. Project COURAGE didn’t just help one student — it invested in the future of our department, advanced the professional pipeline and proved that opportunities for growth can still flourish, even during challenging financial times.”
In addition to awarding scholarships, the team behind Project COURAGE organized three HBCU meet-ups at the SouthEast Fit Expo, the Midwest Fit Fest and the ERSL event. Each gathering created space for connection, visibility and feedback. The ERSL meet-up was the largest, bringing together students from more than 10 HBCUs along with support from the Project COURAGE community, including special guest Kesha Williams, daughter of ERSL founder Herman Williams.
“This initiative is not only opening doors — it’s transforming lives,” said Iisha Voltz, the executive director of Campus Recreation at Texas Southern University and a member of the Project COURAGE advisory panel. “By providing scholarships and professional development opportunities to HBCU students and staff within the fitness industry, Project COURAGE is actively investing in the future of campus recreation and promoting equity and access within our profession.”
Support for Project COURAGE continues to build heading into 2026, backed by new collaboration with the American Council on Exercise (ACE).
Finding they were aligned with the Project COURAGE mission, ACE is backing the initiative by providing educational resources and professional development opportunities that advance Matrix’s mission to empower underrepresented communities.
This alliance came at the perfect time. In this year’s post-application interactions and connections with applicants who didn’t receive a scholarship, the Project COURAGE team found there was an overall lack of access to certifications or certified individuals. The involvement of ACE will work toward alleviating this disparity as the hope is to expand the reach into the HBCU network of students and professionals and set them up for success.
The future is bright for Project COURAGE. The 2026 scholarship application will open on October 1, 2025, and will remain open the entirety of October, with scholarships awarded in December 2025. Once the application opens, you can apply here: projectcouragebymatrix.com.
