April 12, 2012

UCF Athletics Social Media Directory

By Jenna Marina
UCFAthletics.com

ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Six UCF student-athletes will be recognized at halftime of the spring football game for their accomplishments in the classroom.

The new UCF Scholar-Athlete of the Month program recognizes student-athletes who demonstrate consistency, reliability and accountability in their academic work. One male and one female student-athlete are honored each month.

The first six recipients of the award, established by the Academic Services for Student-Athletes office, will be acknowledged Saturday during halftime of the UCF Spring Football Game presented by PNC Bank. The game starts at 2 p.m. at Bright House Networks Stadium.

"Our student-athletes work exceptionally hard in the classroom," said Maribeth Ehasz, vice president for the university's Student Development and Enrollment Services division, which includes Academic Services for Student-Athletes. "We wanted to give faculty members, coaches, teammates and fans an opportunity to recognize the accomplishments of those who demonstrate a great attitude and succeed in their studies."

UCF's student-athletes have performed well in the classroom. They have achieved a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 for each of the last eight semesters, and 221 Knights qualified for the Conference USA Commissioner's Honor Roll in 2011-12 with individual grade-point averages of 3.0 or better. That total ranked first among all of C-USA's public institutions.

UCF Athletics' 83 percent graduation success rate is tied for the top rating among Florida's public universities.

Nominated by their academic advisers, the following six student-athletes representing five sports have received Scholar-Athlete of the Month awards:

February
DJ Williams (Football/Junior/Sport and Fitness)
"DJ is a hard worker and dedicated student. He strives to do the best he can in all he does." -- Erica Hampton, academic adviser

Andrea Hines (Women's Basketball/Freshman/Health Sciences)
"Andrea really wants to learn and do well academically. She has a great attitude." -- Sarah Hill, academic adviser

March
Jacques Mackeroy (Football/Freshman/Interdisciplinary Studies)
"Jacques is a very dedicated student who puts forth a lot of continuous effort to be successful in the classroom. He has a positive attitude about academics and is setting a great example for his teammates." - Brittney O'Dell, academic adviser

Afia Charles (Track and Field/Sophomore/Physical/Occupational Therapy)
"Afia does not settle for mediocrity and constantly strives to achieve her best both in the classroom and on the track." -- Jessie Mills, academic adviser

April
Ronald Garcia (Men's Soccer/Freshman/Civil Engineering)
"Ronnie is a hard-working student who puts in a lot of effort. He is a great teammate- both on and off the soccer field." - Adam Hubbard, academic adviser

Anita Schmidt (Rowing/Sophomore/Business Management)
"Anita has committed herself to be successful in her classes. She keeps up a positive attitude while balancing her classes and competing in-season." -- Margaret Dann, academic adviser