Stephanie Orji Wins McLendon Postgraduate Scholarship
Stephanie Orji, a recent graduate of Cheyney University, is one of five winners of the 2010 John McLendon Memorial Minority Postgraduate Scholarship, it was announced yesterday. Orji, a standout in women's basketball and track and field, was the only winner who competed at the NCAA Division II level.
Orji graduated this past spring with a 3.8 grade point average while majoring in recreation and leisure management. In 2009, she qualified for the NCAA II Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the triple jump, becoming the first female in Cheyney track and field history to earn a trip to the national championships. This season she won the event at the PSAC Championships and again qualified for the national championships, finishing 12th overall. Orji is the school record hold in both the triple and high jumps.
Orji was also a significant contributor to the resurgence of Cheyney's women's basketball program. She was a second-team All-PSAC East selection as a sophomore, helping lead the Wolves to their first PSAC playoff appearance in 18 years. The past three years she has been among her team's top scorers and rebounders, which includes a 9.2 rebounds per game average in 2009-10, ranking third in the PSAC in that category.
The release from the McLendon Foundation follows.
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.
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.
STEPHANIE ORJI
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.