Brenau's Bukowska Named Colonel John Sullivan Female Student Athlete of Character

WALESKA, Ga. - The Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) is pleased to announce Olga Bukawka of Brenau as the 2025-26 Colonel John Sullivan Female Student Athlete of Character on Wednesday.

The award was voted on and selected by the athletic directors of the AAC.

A rising senior member of the swim team, Bukowska has completed three years at Brenau while sustaining a perfect 4.0 cumulative GPA and serving as a Co-Captain of the swim team—a role she has been asked to fill again for the 2026–27 season. She embodies each of the NAIA Champions of Character core values—integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, and servant leadership—consistently, both on and off campus. In addition to being a Co-Captain, she has been the team's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) representative since 2024. Bukowska leads by quiet, consistent example. She checks in on teammates who are struggling, encourages accountability at practice, and stays after sessions to help clean the pool deck. She takes the time to recognize her teammates through bulletin boards and locker decorations so that every member of the team feels seen and supported.

Bukowska's service reaches well beyond the pool as she serves as President of the Alpha Lambda Delta honor society chapter at Brenau, Vice President of the Psychology Club working closely with NAMI, a Sullivan Fellow connecting Brenau to local communities, and a Residence Assistant.

In the wider community, she volunteers with Youth Empowerment Thriving (YET), Swim Across America, and as a swim-lessons instructor. Integrity & Academic Excellence Olga has sustained a 4.0 GPA across three years of demanding coursework. She has earned CSCAA and NAIA Scholar-Athlete and All-American academic honors (2023–2025) and All-Conference Academic Scholar recognition in 2025 and 2026. She has twice received the highest overall GPA Scholarship from the Undergraduate Psychology High Achiever Bursary Fund (2024 and 2025), along with the Ryan B. Joiner Scholarship from the North Georgia Community Foundation, the Women's Leadership Colloquium Scholarship, and the Honors Rising Scholar Award. 

The award is named after Colonel John Sullivan, who served as the conference's president and then as its first commissioner from the league's formation in 2001 until his retirement in 2022.

For more information on the Champions of Character Award, click here.