UIW Wins Big During Champ Week — South Division Champs and Top 10 in the Nation

Story credit to Erlinda Lopez-Rodriguez

We just had an amazing showing during the 2025 Unified College Championship Week. For the first time ever, our Special Olympics College Club, led by Assistant Professor at the UIW Ila Faye Miller School of Nursing and Health Professions Dr. Emily Dow, won the South Division and finished 8th out of 30 schools nationwide!

Champ Week is a national celebration where college students with and without intellectual disabilities team up to promote inclusion through sports, leadership and advocacy. Schools host fun and meaningful events like Unified Sports games, student-led workshops and campaigns like “Spread the Word >> Inclusion” to help create welcoming spaces for everyone.

Dr. Dow shared how meaningful the experience was for everyone involved. "Our weeklong competition with other Unified colleges and universities was a fun and inclusive experience," said Dow. "It brought our club and the Special Olympic athletes closer together and created more opportunities for people of all abilities on campus. Winning the South Region and placing 8th overall reflects the students' commitment to spreading awareness about the importance and value of inclusion."

This win is a huge moment for UIW, and it shows what can happen when students lead with heart, purpose and unity. We’re so proud of our Cardinals for their hard work and passion in building a more inclusive campus community.

At UIW, we believe everyone belongs—and this victory proves just how powerful that belief really is