For Boise State sophomore Julia Kiesler, running has always been a defining part of her identity. As a long-distance track and field athlete and psychology major, her days are filled with training and studying. But when an unexpected opportunity arose in her course for the Project Management for All Certificate, she discovered a new side to herself—one that could lead.
From class project to campus initiative
Boise State student-athletes receive multiple pairs of new shoes for their respective sports each season from the Athletic Department. After months of training, those shoes, often still in great condition, begin to pile up in dorm rooms and closets.
“I saw so many shoes just sitting there or being thrown away,” Kiesler said. “I wanted to do something about it.”
This sparked the idea for a campus-wide shoe drive, designed to collect and redistribute new and gently used athletic shoes to local organizations serving youth in need. As part of her coursework in the project management class, Kiesler developed a plan to bring the idea to life – building a timeline, identifying stakeholders and strategizing logistics.
Stepping into leadership
Kiesler found the biggest challenge wasn’t just organizing the shoe drive, it was stepping outside of her comfort zone and into a leadership role.
“I’m usually not the type to like lead…I guess I like to follow,” she said. “But I think it helped me realize I can do that. I shouldn’t always let people take the lead. I should voice my opinion or help in my ways.”
With a toolbox of skills she learned in class, Kiesler pitched her idea to Richy Turner, a former student-athlete and development director. This led to her joining forces with Seyi Oladipo, a Boise State football player who had a similar idea involving used athletic shoes.
Collection boxes were placed around campus and word about the drive spread over the next month.
The team collected 140 pairs of athletic shoes during the drive, which were donated to the Juvenile Clinical Program and Freedom Youth Foundation, organizations that support foster youth and young people in the juvenile justice system.
“When we delivered the shoes, the organizations were pleasantly surprised,” Kiesler said. “They weren’t really expecting such an event to occur. They were very thankful, and they made sure to let us know how much it was helpful to those kids.”
Finding purpose beyond sport
For many student-athletes, their sport is a large part of their identity. But during this last season of redshirting (when athletes train but don’t compete), Kiesler found herself looking for purpose outside of running.
“Having this project really helped me find different values in myself separate from running, and helped me find ways to be proud of myself for something other than my physical abilities,” she said.
Through the process, she gained confidence – not just as a leader, but as someone who could make a difference.
The project wasn’t just about finding ways to make use of old shoes, Kiesler said, it was about stepping into leadership, helping the community and discovering a purpose beyond her sport.
“(The project management class) taught me to approach big projects and big ideas and not be afraid of them, because it gives me a purpose and makes me happy,” she said.
What’s next?
After the success of the first shoe drive, Kiesler is already thinking about ways to expand the initiative next year. She hopes to involve the entire student body and introduce incentives, such as raffle prizes or game tickets, to encourage broader participation.
“I’d love to see it grow beyond the athletic department and become something that brings the whole campus together,” she said.