The collegiate recruiting process presents many financial barriers for student-athletes, with players and their families doling out thousands of dollars toward trainers, Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) teams, and prep schools, among other expenses. Emerson College junior men’s basketball forwards Shay Roban and Guillermo Gasset Ruiz wanted to change that.

“I don’t think there was necessarily a light bulb moment—that was more of a slowly burning candle kind of thing,” Roban said.

That “slowly burning candle” sparked the College Athlete Network (CAN), a non-profit organization that Roban and Gasset Ruiz founded, which offers student-athletes mentorship, in-person training, and recruiting assistance, among other endeavors.

The idea first materialized the summer after the duo’s freshman year. Roban and Gasset Ruiz each took on a postgraduate year at prep schools, learning extensively about the challenges posed to student-athletes and their families. They sought to connect talented players to collegiate opportunities without financial impediment.

“That’s where we thought of the College Athlete Network,”  Roban said.

After extensive conversations with Emerson professors, men’s basketball head coach Bill Curley, and associate head coach Sean Coman, the duo came up with CAN toward the end of their freshman year, officially launching the program this past spring.

In the program’s first five months, CAN has brought in nine mentors from seven different colleges—including senior center Linus Helmhold and sophomore guard Roman Leraris—all guiding 12 high school basketball players.

Leraris joined CAN ahead of his sophomore year after seeing the work that Roban and Gasset Ruiz put in. He says that his experience guiding middle and high school students at summertime PGC Basketball Camps aided his decision to join.

 “[I wanted] to connect with kids on a different level, specifically on the court, helping them with different skills and stuff they’re going to need at the college level,” Leraris said.

Helmhold joined to offer student-athletes the same opportunities and mentorship he wished he had before college, particularly as an international student. International athletes who want to play collegiate sports in the U.S. must register through the NCAA Eligibility Center and meet certain academic and amateurism requirements.

The senior center, who was born in Germany, said that this recruitment process is “definitely a lot harder” than for national students, adding that international athletes often have to take matters into their own hands.

“College Athlete Network will be one way that would be made easier,” Helmhold added.

Though most of the mentees reside in the States, Gasset Ruiz shone a spotlight on Charles Koranteng, a 15-year-old, 6’4” guard from Ghana who is working toward his dream of playing basketball in the U.S. CAN is working to connect him to prep schools, high schools, and businesses to help fund his ambitions.

The mentors’ guidance reaches numerous critical facets, with skills that go beyond on-court work. They ensure that mentees remain on top of their recruiting processes, from learning proper communication with coaches to building their highlight reels.

“We’re trying to help them as much as we can, but at the end of the day, we’re not going to be able to help them if they don’t want to help themselves,” Gasset Ruiz said. “That’s one of the things we say at the beginning to every mentee.”

“CAN is in a really unique spot, because all the people that are in it are playing college sports right now,” Leraris said. “So we know exactly what college programs are looking for.”

The group is also sponsored by T3 Performance, a collective of coaches that train and empower a wide range of athletes, including NBA players. T3 Performance has worked with CAN to establish strength programs for the mentees.

“That’s been really valuable to help them get an understanding of the physicality, and what they can do to prepare for that,” Roban said.

On Oct. 12, Roban and Gasset Ruiz led five mentees through a recruiting presentation in the skybox above the Bobbi Brown and Steven Plofker Gym. They explained what should be done throughout every year of high school, sharing their own experiences along the way. Afterwards, they went down to the court for an hour-long workout, where the two guided the mentees through drills focused on ball handling, shooting, and defense.

In expressing gratitude for the players’ dedication, Roban said to the group, “We want to work hard for those who work hard.”

Among the high school athletes in attendance was Isaiah Ferguson, a sophomore guard from Lowell Catholic High School. Ferguson was one of CAN’s first mentees.

“I’ve already connected with a bunch of, not just colleges but also prep [schools],” Ferguson said in an interview with The Beacon. “I’m trying to get to NEPSAC [New England Preparatory School Athletic Council] or [the] national level, too, and I think this is going to help me.”

Gasset Ruiz says that for him, the most rewarding part of the program has been the connections between mentors and mentees, as well as the interactions between the mentees themselves.

“Whenever we have [interactions] with them in person, you can see how excited they are that somebody [who] doesn’t know them that well is interested in helping,” he said. “It’s a lot of positive feedback that they give, cause at the end of the day, they’re teenagers. So they’re just happy that a player in college is giving them the time of day.”

Roban echoed Gasset Ruiz’s sentiments, recounting a recent visit to two mentees’ games.

“Seeing the way these kids look at a college athlete, with that level of respect, … it’s really special to be in a position where you can offer them guidance and be in that position, too,” he said.

Leraris said he looks to foster that connection even through casual conversations during training sessions.

Even though the program is geared toward mentors currently playing in college, Gasset Ruiz, Roban, Leraris, and Helmhold would all like to remain involved in the program beyond their Emerson careers.

“We want to leave a legacy at Emerson,” Gasset Ruiz said. “Not only have our mentees become mentors in the future, but also have these universities all support the program.”

To other young athletes going through the recruitment process, Ferguson encouraged them to take advantage of any opportunities.

“Even if there [are] no opportunities now, they’ll come your way,” he added. “I think this would definitely help you. I think any athlete should join this network.”