As the year comes to a close, we find ourselves reflecting on the moments that remind us why Team IMPACT exists. At the heart of our mission are the relationships that change lives on every side of a match. Few people capture the difference facets of that impact better than Travis Dowd.
Travis joined Team IMPACT as a freshman at Rice University, where he competed in cross country and track and field. It didn’t take long for Travis to know he wanted to do more with Team IMPACT. Through the Team IMPACT Fellowship Program, he helped support not one, but two Team IMPACT matches—first with Santi and later with Homero—both of whom became beloved members of Rice’s cross country team. Today, Travis is continuing his journey of service as a medical student at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, pursuing a dual MD/MPH degree.
Looking back, Travis says he had no idea just how impactful his freshman year experience with Team IMPACT would become to his collegiate career, his professional aspirations, and his entire future. Through Santi, Homero, and his involvement in Fellowship, Travis witnessed confidence blossoming in children and student-athletes alike. That confidence bleeds into everything Travis does. As a leader and future doctor, Team IMPACT and the friendships made along the way go far beyond sport. “Seeing both Santi and Homero grow in their confidence around the team and seeing the team grow closer in support of our matches and their families has been an extremely special experience,” he said. “Team IMPACT provides student-athletes an unmatched opportunity to grow in their character, leadership, and perspective on the world and the power of sport. Through supporting a match, our team spent more time together and learned more about each other than we ever would have had we not had Santi or Homero as a part of our team.”
That growth has followed Travis well beyond his collegiate career. As he prepares for a future in healthcare, he credits Team IMPACT with teaching lessons that can’t be found in a textbook. “As an aspiring healthcare professional, Team IMPACT taught me the importance of the human side of medicine, which is a level of understanding and knowledge that is absolutely essential to effectively caring for patients and their families,” he said.
The Fellowship Program also connected Travis with student-athletes across the country who share a commitment to service and leadership. Together, these athletes share experiences that shape them to be empathetic leaders of tomorrow. “For athletic programs, Team IMPACT provides an excellent opportunity to develop leaders on teams and create a positive team culture that is beneficial to the performance of a team regardless of the court or field they play on,” Travis said. “My time as a Fellow at Team IMPACT has also provided me with many lifelong friends from athletic programs across the country, all of whom have incredibly admirable aspirations and dedication towards making the world a better place. By learning from other Fellows at Team IMPACT, I have become a better leader, communicator, and advocate.”
As Travis continues to grow and learn from those around him, he does so with Team IMPACT as a constant. From student-athlete to Fellow, medical student to doctor, Travis has continued to give his time, energy, love, and support to Team IMPACT. “I support Team IMPACT because of its incredible mission, the resources and support Team IMPACT has given to myself and so many other student athletes, and the potential I believe the organization has for making an even larger positive impact on both pediatric healthcare and collegiate athletics nationwide,” Travis said.
Travis is using his experience and his platform to encourage others to give, however they can. “Other student-athletes should also support Team IMPACT because of the organization’s mission to enhance the collegiate athletic experience and provide student athletes with both lifelong friends and career tools through matches with teams and the fellowship program,” he said. “Student athletes can support Team IMPACT through getting their team matched, applying to the fellowship program to spread Team IMPACT’s mission on their campus, and giving whatever funds they are able to support Team IMPACT’s mission financially.”
As we approach the end of the year, your generosity makes stories like Travis’s possible. Your gift helps us match more children with more teams, welcome more Fellows, and continue building a future where sport is a force for healing, connection, and hope.
This season of giving, we invite you to be part of the impact. Together, we can ensure that more children like Santi and Homero find belonging, confidence, and joy, and that more student-athletes grow into compassionate leaders who carry these lessons for life.
Make your end-of-year gift today and help us create more matches that change lives.
