Skylar Spencer ’26

Soaring high in the classroom and on gameday, Skylar Spencer ’26 has been successful in keeping an important secret ... that Sammy C. Hawk is a specialist in recreation therapy. 

Spencer will graduate from the recreation therapy program this May, with aspirations to become a certified recreation specialist. She serves as the assistant coordinator of adaptive recreation, where she is tasked with learning and teaching others about various adaptive sports, how to utilize adaptive equipment and helping facilitate bi-weekly adaptive sports nights. 

“There is something so incredibly special about being able to show people of all abilities and backgrounds that they can and should have meaningful community engagement,” said Spencer. 

Spencer was first introduced to recreation therapy while working for her hometown’s community parks and recreation center in Lexington, Massachusetts. Here, she supported children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to engage in community-based programming. 

“There was one participant in particular that I worked with for four years. I watched as he went from frequently not being able to verbally communicate with others to a talkative, engaged child. Seeing how recreation and community played a role in his success cemented my desire to become a recreation therapist,” she said. 
 
Spencer created the UNCW Club Unified program, along with growing the Best Buddies program from three to more than 100 registered members.  
 
“These clubs have fostered meaningful relationships between students with and without disabilities and shown me that I am capable of impacting others around me in a positive way,” she said. 

She also serves as a USA Special Olympics Ambassador. In this role, she travels across the country and advocates recreation programming for individuals with IDD.  

“This role has brought me to the capital, where I have had the opportunity to talk to congressional leaders directly and share the importance of funding for Special Olympics programming,” she said.  

Spencer was named a 2026 American Therapeutic Recreation Association Peg Connolly Scholar, a high honor that is given to students studying recreation therapy. With this honor, Spencer attended the ATRA conference in San Antonio. 

She interns at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Georgia, where she works with a recreation therapist and provides recreation therapy services to adolescents and adults within the inpatient spinal cord injury unit. 

Amid all this success, Spencer had been keeping a major secret for three years.  

“Keeping my identity as Sammy a secret has been fun. Obviously, a few very trusted people knew, but getting to interact with friends and peers who don’t know has been such a funny experience (especially when they talk about the Sammy interaction with me later),” said Spencer. 

Supporting and representing UNCW’s women's athletic programs to the fullest, she has been an exemplary mascot for the university. 

“I have experienced true kindness from the community. Knowing that those at UNCW are kind and compassionate to someone they can’t even see has been such a positive experience. From the concessions workers who always kept a cold water or Gatorade for me during game days, or the students who helped find a private space for me, letting me take much-needed breaks while keeping my identity a secret — I am so grateful for the support of the community around me,” said Spencer. 

“I am honored to have gotten the chance to represent the joy, kindness and energy that Sammy C. Hawk stands for.”