Colorado State women’s basketball senior AJ Newton was awarded with a $7,500 Ethnic Minority and Women’s Enhancement Postgraduate Scholarship for Careers in Athletics by the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interest Committee Wednesday.
Newton is one of just 26 students in the country to receive the honor. She was recently accepted to the University of Texas and will pursue a degree in higher education leadership.
Ad
Newton will also attend the 2015 NCAA Career in Sports Forum this summer. The event is a four-day educational session that allows student-athletes to network and learn about careers in intercollegiate athletics in Indianapolis.
Newton worked closely with senior associate athletic director for diversity & inclusion Dr. Albert Bimper, director of student-athlete support services Sara Ray, academic coordinator Arin Dunn, as well as several organizations on campus that aided in her pursuit of the scholarship.
“I am extremely proud of A.J.,” Bimper said in a press release. “She is the consummate student-athlete and student leader and is very deserving of such a prestigious award. A.J.’s drive and ambition is positively infectious. It has been an honor and pleasure to be able to work so closely with her, and I’m truly excited to see what the future holds.”
The 2014 Academic All-Mountain West and MW Scholar-Athlete will receive her bachelor’s degree in sociology from CSU at the conclusion of the spring semester. Newton achieved a cumulative 3.558 grade-point average in her two years with the Rams while helping lead the team to consecutive MW championships.
“The significance and honor of the award I believe speaks volumes to the community and stride for excellence that CSU as an institution instills within its students,” Newton said. “I am very thankful and truly blessed for the experiences and values I have learned through different members of the CSU community, and this scholarship is not only a financial relief, but also a humbling award. As we all know, athletics does not last forever, so I am grateful for the efforts of the NCAA in recognizing the above notion and awarding post graduate scholarships. I will forever be a Ram, but ecstatic to be a Longhorn this fall.”
Collegian Sports Editor Keegan Pope can be reached at kpope@collegian.com and on Twitter @ByKeeganPope.