GENERAL
Southern Conference announces graduate scholars
Ten student-athletes honored with $2,000 scholarships
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference announced its 10 postgraduate scholarship recipients for the 2020-21 academic year Wednesday.
This year’s honorees include: Dave Hart Scholarship recipient Grant Wollam (Wofford); Dorothy Hicks Scholarship recipient Allie Jones (Mercer); Insurance Office of America Scholarship recipient Emma Kuntz (Furman); David Knight Scholarship recipient Kaley Tucker (UNC Greensboro); Bob McCloskey Insurance Scholarship recipients Megan Dunn (Wofford) and Omar Williams (Wofford); William V. Moore Scholarship presented by McMillan Pazdan Smith recipient Victoria Solheim (Western Carolina); and Southern Conference Presidential Scholarship recipients Avery Whitehead (Furman), Maria Esch (UNCG) and Caroline Orman (Samford).
The recipients are nominated by their schools and selected by the Southern Conference Graduate Scholar Committee. The scholarships, worth $2,000 each, are awarded to student-athletes about to receive their undergraduate degrees who intend to pursue advanced degrees in graduate or professional school. The student-athletes are evaluated on academics, athletics and community service.
Grant Wollam, Wofford – Dave Hart Scholarship
Wofford’s Grant Wollam is the 2021 recipient of the Dave Hart Scholarship. A goalkeeper for the Terriers’ men’s soccer team, Wollam made consecutive starts this spring, against defending 2019 SoCon tournament champion Mercer and eventual 2020-21 tournament champion UNCG, allowing four goals and making 11 saves in the two contests for a seasonal .733 save percentage and 2.00 goals-against average. For his career, Wollam has posted a .711 save percentage and a 2.04 GAA over 15 games and 12 starts. A physics and finance double-major with a 3.74 GPA, Wollam has been a team representative for Wofford’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee since 2019. In 2020, Wollam became a Gift of Life Donor, donating stem cells to a stranger with similar DNA who needed a transplant to overcome leukemia and then providing a second donation months later. Wollam helped organize an outreach event that brought around 100 elementary school children to Wofford’s campus to experience being a “college” student for a day, also helping develop physics demonstrations for the presentation. With the skills learned in one of his classes, Wollam and a classmate invented, designed, manufactured and now sell products designed for students charging their phones. The Leesburg, Georgia, native plans to pursue a master’s degree in electrical engineering and hopes to one day own his own engineering company to help create a cleaner planet.
Allie Jones, Mercer – Dorothy Hicks Scholarship
Mercer softball player Allie Jones is the recipient of the 2021 Dorothy Hicks Scholarship. Jones, a two-year captain for the Bears, has collected many athletic accolades, capped off by her selection to the 2021 all-conference second team. The Calhoun, Georgia, native was named to the All-Freshman team in 2018 despite playing with a nagging injury. She earned the starting nod in center field her sophomore season, where she was a preseason all-conference selection. Jones was tabbed as a preseason second-team all-conference selection in the COVID-shortened 2020 season but was honored for her work in the classroom, being named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District first team and becoming just Mercer’s second CoSIDA All-American when she was selected to the third team. She’s also been named the Academic All-SoCon Team twice. In the classroom, Jones has maintained a 4.0 despite a rigorous class schedule while majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology, a joint degree between the Departments of Chemistry and Biology. A member of the Phi Eta Honor Society and the American Chemical Society, Jones has been named to the Dean’s List and President’s List all seven semesters to date. She’s participated in several research projects, ranging from traditional chemistry to a more biochemistry-focused investigation, and presented her findings at multiple conferences. Despite her busy schedule, Jones has found a way to be involved in the community, volunteering over 1,700 hours in a range of roles from shadowing doctors, tutoring and serving as a softball camp instructor to assisting at the local food bank, volunteering with Habitat for Humanity and helping with the toy drive for Jay’s Hope, an organization that aims to bring joy to children with cancer. She plans to attend either Mercer School of Medicine or Emory University in the fall with hopes of becoming a physician.
Emma Kuntz, Furman – Insurance Office of America Scholarship
Furman’s Emma Kuntz is the 2021 recipient of the Insurance Office of America Scholarship. A runner on the Paladins’ cross country and track and field teams, Kuntz holds school records in four events and is an eight-time conference champion on the track. Kuntz has helped the Paladins to SoCon cross country championships in each year of her career, winning the 2019 Pinnacle Award for having the highest GPA on the championship-winning team. In 2019, Furman’s cross country team finished second at the NCAA Southeast Region Championship, advancing to the NCAA Championship, where it finished ninth. The year prior, Furman finished second in the region and 23rd nationally. In her NCAA preliminaries debut in 2019, the Louisville, Kentucky, native advanced to the quarterfinals of the 800-meter run, setting a school record along the way. As a freshman in 2018, she finished sixth in the event at the USA Track & Field Junior Outdoor Championships. Kuntz has also excelled in the classroom, posting a 3.92 GPA while double-majoring in applied mathematics and economics. In addition to her Pinnacle Award, Kuntz has earned the Arthur Magill Economics Award, the USTFCCCA Academic Award (twice) and the Physics 111 Student Award and is a member of the Pi Mu Epsilon and Phi Eta Sigma national honor societies. Kuntz, who plans to pursue a Ph.D. in operations research, has volunteered at a children’s hospital, mentored kids at the Kiddie Track Clinic and taught children at the Science Center.
Kaley Tucker, UNCG – David Knight Scholarship
UNCG’s Kaley Tucker is the 2021 recipient of the David Knight Scholarship. A forward/midfielder on the Spartans’ women’s soccer team, Tucker started the majority of the games in her five-year career, helping UNCG to SoCon Championship and NCAA appearances in 2017 and 2018. The native of Littleton, Colorado, was a member of the SoCon All-Freshman team in 2017 before earning a spot on the All-SoCon second team and a place on the All-Tournament team in 2019. She was the recipient of UNCG’s Coaches Award in 2019. A communication studies major and Spanish and biology minor, Tucker was awarded the Pinnacle Award in 2017, given to the student-athlete with the highest GPA on the championship-winning team. She was named a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars in 2018, a member of the Golden Chain Honor Society in 2018-19, a member of Phi Beta Kappa in 2019 and a member of Lambda Pi Eta in 2020. Additionally, the 4.0 student earned a spot on the Chancellor’s List each of the last three years. Off the field, Tucker has volunteered 20 hours a year for the last five years with Zuma’s Horse Rescue as well as over 17 hours with the HorsePower Therapeutic Riding Center and eight hours with the HERO Horse Rescue. She’s also served as a small group leader for Greensboro United Soccer. Tucker plans to pursue a veterinary medicine degree beginning in the fall of 2022, fulfilling a life-long dream.
Megan Dunn, Wofford – Bob McCloskey Insurance Scholarship
Wofford’s Megan Dunn is one of two recipients of a Bob McCloskey Insurance Scholarship. A combined events athlete for the Terriers’ track and field team, Dunn is a three-time SoCon champion, winning the pentathlon during the 2020 and 2021 indoor seasons and the heptathlon during the 2021 outdoor season. Prior to that, she was the runner-up in the pentathlon in 2018 and in the javelin and heptathlon in 2019. She holds program records in both the pentathlon and javelin. A biology major with a 3.93 GPA, Dunn, who has spent 340 hours working as an optometric assistant, will attend the three-year accelerated scholars program at Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University beginning in July. The native of Dorchester, Ontario, Canada, has twice been named to the Academic All-SoCon team and has earned SoCon Commissioner’s Medals three times. She earned the W. Raymond Leonard Endowed Scholarship and the Dobb’s Scholarship from the Wofford Biology Department. Dunn, who has worked concession stands at Wofford events to raise funds for the Terriers’ track and field team, has served as an assistant coach for the London Western Track and Field Club in Ontario, for which she competed in high school, as well as serving as a high school coach.
Omar Williams, Wofford – Bob McCloskey Insurance Scholarship
Wofford’s Omar Williams is one of two recipients of a Bob McCloskey Insurance Scholarship. A four-year letterman on the men’s tennis team, Williams worked his way up the lineup to play in the No. 1 singles spot this season. Williams, who was named to the All-Freshman team in 2018, was named first-team All-SoCon this season in addition to being the February athlete of the month and a two-time player of the week. The native of Spartanburg, South Carolina, is a three-time member of the SoCon Academic Honor Roll and has been named to the Academic All-SoCon Team twice. He was a Dean’s List recipient in 2020. Williams has been the men’s tennis team representative on Wofford’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for the last two years and has assisted in service projects. An accounting major and finance minor, Williams plans to attend Clemson’s School of Accountancy.
Victoria Solheim, Western Carolina – William V. Moore Scholarship presented by McMillan Pazdan Smith
Western Carolina’s Victoria Solheim is the 2021 recipient of the William V. Moore Scholarship presented by McMillan Pazdan Smith. A thrower on the Catamounts’ track and field team, Solheim is a two-time indoor champion in the weight throw, winning in 2019 and 2021, and took third in 2020. The Dallas, Georgia, native was the runner-up in the discus during the 2019 outdoor season and took third in 2021. A biology and chemistry double-major with a 3.963 GPA, the pre-med student has made the Chancellor’s List each semester of her career and earned SoCon Commissioner’s Medals in 2019 and 2020. Solheim, who has served an internship shadowing at a dentist’s office and plans to attend dental school with the goal of becoming a Doctor of Dental Surgery, has served as Western Carolina’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee’s community service chair since 2019. She has coordinated a pair of community service activities for the track and field team, including a National Walk to School Day event with Fairview Elementary and Christmas Connection, in which money was raised to support children in Jackson County, North Carolina. She has participated in Jackson County roadside cleanup and is a member of the Pre-Med Club.
Avery Whitehead, Furman – Southern Conference Presidential Scholarship
Furman’s Avery Whitehead is the recipient of a 2021 Southern Conference Presidential Scholarship. A defender on the Paladins’ women’s lacrosse team, Whitehead was voted the 2021 SoCon Defensive Player of the Year and helped Furman to the regular-season league title, its second straight. In addition to her first-team All-SoCon selection this season, she was a second-team choice in 2018 and 2019 and earned SoCon All-Tournament honors in 2019, when she was also selected Furman’s Iron Paladin. A health sciences major with a 3.967 GPA, Whitehead has received Furman’s Winston Babb Memorial Award, been recognized by The Shucker Center for Leadership Development, served as a tutor for the Center for Academic Success and was recently selected by the department’s faculty to receive the Ruth Reid Award for Academic Excellence in Health Sciences. She has been on Dean’s List each semester of her career, has earned SoCon Commissioner’s Medals in each of the last three, and was inducted into the Phi Eta Sigma honor society in 2018. Also extremely active in the community, Whitehead has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, the Ronald McDonald House and Head Start, among other worthy causes. Whitehead, who has completed internships with PRISMA Health and shadowed and worked at the Memphis Pediatric Heart Center in her hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, plans to pursue a career as a physician’s assistant.
Maria Esch, UNCG – Southern Conference Presidential Scholarship
UNCG volleyball player Maria Esch is the recipient of a 2021 Southern Conference Presidential Scholarship. A four-year letterwinner, Esch finished her career 15th on UNCG’s all-time kills list (949), amassing 220 kills in a 2021 season in which she played in all 66 sets. A 4.0 student, Esch was the recipient of the Martha McNair Merit Scholarship in 2017 and has been named to UNCG’s Dean’s List each year since 2017 and UNCG’s Chancellor’s List each year since 2018. The native of Williamsburg, Virginia, earned the SoCon Commissioner’s Medal in 2018, 2019 and 2020 and was named to the league’s 2018 and 2019 Academic All-SoCon team. She’s been a member of the Golden Chain National Honor Society since 2019. Esch served as a SAAC representative before becoming the president of the organization this year after being elected by her peers. Esch helped found and is involved in Athletes for Activism, a group that educates student-athletes on different cultures, social and economic issues and ways to be better advocates, and for which she serves as the communications director. Additionally, Esch serves as the student-athlete representative on UNCG’s Faculty Committee of Intercollegiate Athletics (FICA). Esch will graduate in May with degrees in international and global studies (human rights) and women’s, gender and sexuality studies with minors in history, Spanish and African American/African diaspora studies. She plans to attend graduate school in the fall, joining Arizona State’s Master of Justice Studies program, and work toward a doctorate degree with hopes of working in academia as a college professor.
Caroline Orman, Samford – Southern Conference Presidential Scholarship
Samford women’s soccer player Caroline Orman is the recipient of a 2021 Southern Conference Presidential Scholarship. A 2021 All-SoCon second-team forward, Orman has been a vital part of Samford’s success over the past four years, helping Samford to a 2019 Southern Conference Championship and a 30-1-5 conference record in that span. In addition to her second-team all-conference nod this season, Orman was honored on the All-Freshman Team in 2017 and was a first-team All-SoCon performer in 2018 and a preseason all-conference pick and second-team all-conference performer in 2019. The native of Atlanta, Georgia, holds a 4.0 GPA in health sciences, and has been named to Samford’s College of Health Sciences Dean’s List and the Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll each year. In the community, Orman spent over 32 hours volunteering on a medical mission trip in 2019. Additionally, she volunteered at the Special Olympics State Games, as a gym runner at the Sheperd Center, and currently serves as a mentor in the Big Brother Big Sister program. Orman is also the women’s soccer team representative for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Orman plans to enroll in Emory’s Accelerated Master of Nursing Pathway program in January 2022.
This year’s honorees include: Dave Hart Scholarship recipient Grant Wollam (Wofford); Dorothy Hicks Scholarship recipient Allie Jones (Mercer); Insurance Office of America Scholarship recipient Emma Kuntz (Furman); David Knight Scholarship recipient Kaley Tucker (UNC Greensboro); Bob McCloskey Insurance Scholarship recipients Megan Dunn (Wofford) and Omar Williams (Wofford); William V. Moore Scholarship presented by McMillan Pazdan Smith recipient Victoria Solheim (Western Carolina); and Southern Conference Presidential Scholarship recipients Avery Whitehead (Furman), Maria Esch (UNCG) and Caroline Orman (Samford).
The recipients are nominated by their schools and selected by the Southern Conference Graduate Scholar Committee. The scholarships, worth $2,000 each, are awarded to student-athletes about to receive their undergraduate degrees who intend to pursue advanced degrees in graduate or professional school. The student-athletes are evaluated on academics, athletics and community service.
Grant Wollam, Wofford – Dave Hart Scholarship
Wofford’s Grant Wollam is the 2021 recipient of the Dave Hart Scholarship. A goalkeeper for the Terriers’ men’s soccer team, Wollam made consecutive starts this spring, against defending 2019 SoCon tournament champion Mercer and eventual 2020-21 tournament champion UNCG, allowing four goals and making 11 saves in the two contests for a seasonal .733 save percentage and 2.00 goals-against average. For his career, Wollam has posted a .711 save percentage and a 2.04 GAA over 15 games and 12 starts. A physics and finance double-major with a 3.74 GPA, Wollam has been a team representative for Wofford’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee since 2019. In 2020, Wollam became a Gift of Life Donor, donating stem cells to a stranger with similar DNA who needed a transplant to overcome leukemia and then providing a second donation months later. Wollam helped organize an outreach event that brought around 100 elementary school children to Wofford’s campus to experience being a “college” student for a day, also helping develop physics demonstrations for the presentation. With the skills learned in one of his classes, Wollam and a classmate invented, designed, manufactured and now sell products designed for students charging their phones. The Leesburg, Georgia, native plans to pursue a master’s degree in electrical engineering and hopes to one day own his own engineering company to help create a cleaner planet.
Allie Jones, Mercer – Dorothy Hicks Scholarship
Mercer softball player Allie Jones is the recipient of the 2021 Dorothy Hicks Scholarship. Jones, a two-year captain for the Bears, has collected many athletic accolades, capped off by her selection to the 2021 all-conference second team. The Calhoun, Georgia, native was named to the All-Freshman team in 2018 despite playing with a nagging injury. She earned the starting nod in center field her sophomore season, where she was a preseason all-conference selection. Jones was tabbed as a preseason second-team all-conference selection in the COVID-shortened 2020 season but was honored for her work in the classroom, being named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District first team and becoming just Mercer’s second CoSIDA All-American when she was selected to the third team. She’s also been named the Academic All-SoCon Team twice. In the classroom, Jones has maintained a 4.0 despite a rigorous class schedule while majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology, a joint degree between the Departments of Chemistry and Biology. A member of the Phi Eta Honor Society and the American Chemical Society, Jones has been named to the Dean’s List and President’s List all seven semesters to date. She’s participated in several research projects, ranging from traditional chemistry to a more biochemistry-focused investigation, and presented her findings at multiple conferences. Despite her busy schedule, Jones has found a way to be involved in the community, volunteering over 1,700 hours in a range of roles from shadowing doctors, tutoring and serving as a softball camp instructor to assisting at the local food bank, volunteering with Habitat for Humanity and helping with the toy drive for Jay’s Hope, an organization that aims to bring joy to children with cancer. She plans to attend either Mercer School of Medicine or Emory University in the fall with hopes of becoming a physician.
Emma Kuntz, Furman – Insurance Office of America Scholarship
Furman’s Emma Kuntz is the 2021 recipient of the Insurance Office of America Scholarship. A runner on the Paladins’ cross country and track and field teams, Kuntz holds school records in four events and is an eight-time conference champion on the track. Kuntz has helped the Paladins to SoCon cross country championships in each year of her career, winning the 2019 Pinnacle Award for having the highest GPA on the championship-winning team. In 2019, Furman’s cross country team finished second at the NCAA Southeast Region Championship, advancing to the NCAA Championship, where it finished ninth. The year prior, Furman finished second in the region and 23rd nationally. In her NCAA preliminaries debut in 2019, the Louisville, Kentucky, native advanced to the quarterfinals of the 800-meter run, setting a school record along the way. As a freshman in 2018, she finished sixth in the event at the USA Track & Field Junior Outdoor Championships. Kuntz has also excelled in the classroom, posting a 3.92 GPA while double-majoring in applied mathematics and economics. In addition to her Pinnacle Award, Kuntz has earned the Arthur Magill Economics Award, the USTFCCCA Academic Award (twice) and the Physics 111 Student Award and is a member of the Pi Mu Epsilon and Phi Eta Sigma national honor societies. Kuntz, who plans to pursue a Ph.D. in operations research, has volunteered at a children’s hospital, mentored kids at the Kiddie Track Clinic and taught children at the Science Center.
Kaley Tucker, UNCG – David Knight Scholarship
UNCG’s Kaley Tucker is the 2021 recipient of the David Knight Scholarship. A forward/midfielder on the Spartans’ women’s soccer team, Tucker started the majority of the games in her five-year career, helping UNCG to SoCon Championship and NCAA appearances in 2017 and 2018. The native of Littleton, Colorado, was a member of the SoCon All-Freshman team in 2017 before earning a spot on the All-SoCon second team and a place on the All-Tournament team in 2019. She was the recipient of UNCG’s Coaches Award in 2019. A communication studies major and Spanish and biology minor, Tucker was awarded the Pinnacle Award in 2017, given to the student-athlete with the highest GPA on the championship-winning team. She was named a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars in 2018, a member of the Golden Chain Honor Society in 2018-19, a member of Phi Beta Kappa in 2019 and a member of Lambda Pi Eta in 2020. Additionally, the 4.0 student earned a spot on the Chancellor’s List each of the last three years. Off the field, Tucker has volunteered 20 hours a year for the last five years with Zuma’s Horse Rescue as well as over 17 hours with the HorsePower Therapeutic Riding Center and eight hours with the HERO Horse Rescue. She’s also served as a small group leader for Greensboro United Soccer. Tucker plans to pursue a veterinary medicine degree beginning in the fall of 2022, fulfilling a life-long dream.
Megan Dunn, Wofford – Bob McCloskey Insurance Scholarship
Wofford’s Megan Dunn is one of two recipients of a Bob McCloskey Insurance Scholarship. A combined events athlete for the Terriers’ track and field team, Dunn is a three-time SoCon champion, winning the pentathlon during the 2020 and 2021 indoor seasons and the heptathlon during the 2021 outdoor season. Prior to that, she was the runner-up in the pentathlon in 2018 and in the javelin and heptathlon in 2019. She holds program records in both the pentathlon and javelin. A biology major with a 3.93 GPA, Dunn, who has spent 340 hours working as an optometric assistant, will attend the three-year accelerated scholars program at Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University beginning in July. The native of Dorchester, Ontario, Canada, has twice been named to the Academic All-SoCon team and has earned SoCon Commissioner’s Medals three times. She earned the W. Raymond Leonard Endowed Scholarship and the Dobb’s Scholarship from the Wofford Biology Department. Dunn, who has worked concession stands at Wofford events to raise funds for the Terriers’ track and field team, has served as an assistant coach for the London Western Track and Field Club in Ontario, for which she competed in high school, as well as serving as a high school coach.
Omar Williams, Wofford – Bob McCloskey Insurance Scholarship
Wofford’s Omar Williams is one of two recipients of a Bob McCloskey Insurance Scholarship. A four-year letterman on the men’s tennis team, Williams worked his way up the lineup to play in the No. 1 singles spot this season. Williams, who was named to the All-Freshman team in 2018, was named first-team All-SoCon this season in addition to being the February athlete of the month and a two-time player of the week. The native of Spartanburg, South Carolina, is a three-time member of the SoCon Academic Honor Roll and has been named to the Academic All-SoCon Team twice. He was a Dean’s List recipient in 2020. Williams has been the men’s tennis team representative on Wofford’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for the last two years and has assisted in service projects. An accounting major and finance minor, Williams plans to attend Clemson’s School of Accountancy.
Victoria Solheim, Western Carolina – William V. Moore Scholarship presented by McMillan Pazdan Smith
Western Carolina’s Victoria Solheim is the 2021 recipient of the William V. Moore Scholarship presented by McMillan Pazdan Smith. A thrower on the Catamounts’ track and field team, Solheim is a two-time indoor champion in the weight throw, winning in 2019 and 2021, and took third in 2020. The Dallas, Georgia, native was the runner-up in the discus during the 2019 outdoor season and took third in 2021. A biology and chemistry double-major with a 3.963 GPA, the pre-med student has made the Chancellor’s List each semester of her career and earned SoCon Commissioner’s Medals in 2019 and 2020. Solheim, who has served an internship shadowing at a dentist’s office and plans to attend dental school with the goal of becoming a Doctor of Dental Surgery, has served as Western Carolina’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee’s community service chair since 2019. She has coordinated a pair of community service activities for the track and field team, including a National Walk to School Day event with Fairview Elementary and Christmas Connection, in which money was raised to support children in Jackson County, North Carolina. She has participated in Jackson County roadside cleanup and is a member of the Pre-Med Club.
Avery Whitehead, Furman – Southern Conference Presidential Scholarship
Furman’s Avery Whitehead is the recipient of a 2021 Southern Conference Presidential Scholarship. A defender on the Paladins’ women’s lacrosse team, Whitehead was voted the 2021 SoCon Defensive Player of the Year and helped Furman to the regular-season league title, its second straight. In addition to her first-team All-SoCon selection this season, she was a second-team choice in 2018 and 2019 and earned SoCon All-Tournament honors in 2019, when she was also selected Furman’s Iron Paladin. A health sciences major with a 3.967 GPA, Whitehead has received Furman’s Winston Babb Memorial Award, been recognized by The Shucker Center for Leadership Development, served as a tutor for the Center for Academic Success and was recently selected by the department’s faculty to receive the Ruth Reid Award for Academic Excellence in Health Sciences. She has been on Dean’s List each semester of her career, has earned SoCon Commissioner’s Medals in each of the last three, and was inducted into the Phi Eta Sigma honor society in 2018. Also extremely active in the community, Whitehead has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, the Ronald McDonald House and Head Start, among other worthy causes. Whitehead, who has completed internships with PRISMA Health and shadowed and worked at the Memphis Pediatric Heart Center in her hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, plans to pursue a career as a physician’s assistant.
Maria Esch, UNCG – Southern Conference Presidential Scholarship
UNCG volleyball player Maria Esch is the recipient of a 2021 Southern Conference Presidential Scholarship. A four-year letterwinner, Esch finished her career 15th on UNCG’s all-time kills list (949), amassing 220 kills in a 2021 season in which she played in all 66 sets. A 4.0 student, Esch was the recipient of the Martha McNair Merit Scholarship in 2017 and has been named to UNCG’s Dean’s List each year since 2017 and UNCG’s Chancellor’s List each year since 2018. The native of Williamsburg, Virginia, earned the SoCon Commissioner’s Medal in 2018, 2019 and 2020 and was named to the league’s 2018 and 2019 Academic All-SoCon team. She’s been a member of the Golden Chain National Honor Society since 2019. Esch served as a SAAC representative before becoming the president of the organization this year after being elected by her peers. Esch helped found and is involved in Athletes for Activism, a group that educates student-athletes on different cultures, social and economic issues and ways to be better advocates, and for which she serves as the communications director. Additionally, Esch serves as the student-athlete representative on UNCG’s Faculty Committee of Intercollegiate Athletics (FICA). Esch will graduate in May with degrees in international and global studies (human rights) and women’s, gender and sexuality studies with minors in history, Spanish and African American/African diaspora studies. She plans to attend graduate school in the fall, joining Arizona State’s Master of Justice Studies program, and work toward a doctorate degree with hopes of working in academia as a college professor.
Caroline Orman, Samford – Southern Conference Presidential Scholarship
Samford women’s soccer player Caroline Orman is the recipient of a 2021 Southern Conference Presidential Scholarship. A 2021 All-SoCon second-team forward, Orman has been a vital part of Samford’s success over the past four years, helping Samford to a 2019 Southern Conference Championship and a 30-1-5 conference record in that span. In addition to her second-team all-conference nod this season, Orman was honored on the All-Freshman Team in 2017 and was a first-team All-SoCon performer in 2018 and a preseason all-conference pick and second-team all-conference performer in 2019. The native of Atlanta, Georgia, holds a 4.0 GPA in health sciences, and has been named to Samford’s College of Health Sciences Dean’s List and the Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll each year. In the community, Orman spent over 32 hours volunteering on a medical mission trip in 2019. Additionally, she volunteered at the Special Olympics State Games, as a gym runner at the Sheperd Center, and currently serves as a mentor in the Big Brother Big Sister program. Orman is also the women’s soccer team representative for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Orman plans to enroll in Emory’s Accelerated Master of Nursing Pathway program in January 2022.
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