Staff Stories: Devan Carrington

An anchor for student-athletes

by Grace DePaull

Devan Carrington grew up in Queens, New York with little money and limited exposure to the world outside the city. However, after finding a home in higher education and landing jobs at a handful of colleges along the East Coast, Carrington’s path prepared him for his role at Cornell, where he has found a purpose in enriching the experiences of student-athletes.

In January 2022, Carrington stepped into the role of Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Support, Development and Inclusion – The Andrew ’78 and Margaret Paul Director of Student-Athlete Support Services at Cornell – after spending nearly a decade serving students in residential life.

Carrington is responsible for helping student-athletes balance their athletic and academic pursuits. Much of his job focuses on meetings with student-athletes and coaches to help ensure they experience academic success and overall wellbeing during their time at the university.

“One of the big barriers to the eligibility of students is academic support,” Carrington said, which is why he is also responsible for coordinating and providing tutoring services. However, challenges affecting students often don’t stop there.

“Some of our student-athletes are also coming to me with food insecurity, financial and security issues, housing concerns and challenges to their mental health, stress and time management, all while trying to balance the high demand and tight schedule of a varsity Division I athlete,” Carrington said. “And so, I hope to provide these students with holistic support. It’s my job to make sure they feel supported.”

Carrington’s career path has allowed him to pursue a goal he’s had since his youth: becoming a coach.

“I always wanted to be a coach and work with student-athletes, and this role allows me to make a big impact,” Carrington said. “I get so much gratification knowing that they benefit from our conversations. It’s come full circle from where I started in my journey through adulthood.”

Carrington was a former student-athlete at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts, where he was on the football team. However, his athletic career was cut short early on after sustaining an injury.

Through the guidance he received after his injury, Carrington began to develop his love for higher education and working with students. He credits his mentors who exposed him to opportunities to continue his education and pursue jobs on college campuses.

“I had a mentor who really took me under his wing and helped me grow tremendously as a first-generation college student and man of color,” Carrington said. “He took me to a conference, helped me get a good suit and connected me to folks at different universities. I was able to see just how much he advocated for me.”

However, Carrington faced his own difficulties navigating higher education.

“I fumbled a lot in college, and I struggled in the classroom,” Carrington recalled.

While pursuing his graduate studies at the University of Vermont, he also struggled with mental health.

“As someone who attempted suicide in the past, it’s something I try to talk openly about,” Carrington said. “Mental health is something that’s not discussed in the men of color community. We’re socialized to be tough, strong and to feel no emotions other than anger. But one of the bravest things you can do is ask for help.”

“Anything or anyone can be an anchor keeping you here, and I want to help folks find what that is for them,” Carrington said. “For me, it wasn’t a counselor, and it wasn’t a crisis line. It was my cat. He’s usually not affectionate, but he was attached to my hip like he knew something was wrong. I remember thinking, who is going to take care of him? So, I put a bunch of food and water in his bowl and went to the hospital to get help.”

Finding purpose helped Carrington continue his college career and is what he hopes to provide for his student-athletes. Through empathy and an understanding of the unique experiences that each student brings to the university, Carrington works to create an environment where student-athletes know they belong and are valued.

“Unless you’re getting down to the full narrative of someone’s experience, how can you truly identify how and when to support them? I think that’s something we should all strive for; whether we have “inclusion” in our job titles or not, it needs to become a part of the work that we do,” Carrington said.

For Carrington, the work that he does and the position he is in “just makes sense.”

“This is where I am supposed to be,” Carrington said. “I have tremendous pride working at Cornell. It sounds cliché, but it’s nice to be needed. And I’m finding that the athletes need a person here to advocate for them. I want students to leave Cornell better than when they got here – physically, mentally, and emotionally. I want them to feel that they’ve accomplished something and can be proud of themselves.”