News
Cheyney University's Orji Among Winners of the McLendon Scholarship
August 10, 2010
Stephanie Orji (Class of 2010)
CLEVELAND - The five winners for the 11th annual John McLendon Memorial Minority Postgraduate Scholarship Awards were announced today by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and the John McLendon Minority Scholarship Foundation.
The winners are:
- Francie Ekwerekwu, University of Oklahoma - Human Relations
- Ashley Hicks, University of Southern California - Broadcast Journalism
- Tara Jackson, American University - Literature
- Joshua Jones, Hampton University - Sport Management
- Stephanie Orji, Cheyney University - Recreation and Lesiure Management
The winners will each receive a $10,000 grant to be used towards postgraduate studies in athletics administration. Funding for the scholarship program has been provided in part by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA); the Cleveland Cavaliers; Major League Baseball (MLB); the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC); the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA); the National Basketball Association (NBA); the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA); and Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Minorities (as defined by federal guidelines) who intend to pursue a postgraduate degree in athletics administration are eligible for these scholarships. Students were required to have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and have demonstrated leadership qualities on an institutional or community level.
Stephanie Orji Biography
Stephanie Orji graduated from Cheyney University in 2010 with a bachelor's degree in recreation and leisure management, earning a 3.8 grade point average, while competing as a two-sport athlete in women's basketball and outdoor track and field. She was the first woman from Cheyney to qualify for the Division II NCAA Track and Field National Championship meet and ended her career as Cheyney's school record holder in both the triple and high jumps. Academically, Orji was named to the Dean's List four consecutive years, was in the top 10 percent of her class at Cheyney, earned the President's Scholar Athlete Award for 2010 as the athlete with the highest GPA and was also named to the Keystone Honors Academy. She recently completed an internship at the University of Pennsylvania's Pottruck Center and plans on volunteering with the Girard College High School Lady Cavaliers basketball team before beginning graduate school in the fall. Orji plans to pursue a master's degree in sports management from Delaware State University with long term goals of becoming an athletics director and short term goals of becoming a women's basketball coach. She is a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
About the John McLendon Memorial Minority Postgraduate Scholarship Program:
The John McLendon Memorial Minority Postgraduate Scholarship Awards are presented to senior-level minority students who intend to pursue a graduate degree in athletics administration. If you have any questions regarding this program, please visit www.mclendonminorityfoundation.com.
About NACDA:
NACDA, now in its 46th year, is the professional and educational association for more than 6,500 college athletics administrators at more than 1,600 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. More than 2,300 athletics administrators annually attend the NACDA Convention. Additionally, NACDA administers 11 professional associations that come under the umbrella of the athletics director.
