NEWPORT NEWS, Va.— The Atlantic 10 Conference announced the 15 A-10 Postgraduate Scholarship honorees for 2023. The prestigious honor is given to a graduating student-athlete from each of the league's 15 members.
Der, a native of Chantilly, Virginia, will graduate with a degree in community health on a pre-occupational therapy track. The libero appeared in 91 matches and 338 sets throughout her career, tallying 1,176 digs, 222 assists and 60 services aces. She finished her storied career as a Patriot ranked fourth all-time in school history in total career digs. During her senior season, she also bested her previous season best with 415 total digs for 4.32 digs/set (5th, A-10). She also tallied a career-best 97 assists and 18 service aces in 2022. In the classroom, Der is a two-time Provost Scholar and has been named to the Dean's List for six consecutive semesters.
Over the last decade, the A-10's Postgraduate Scholarship program has awarded $565,000 to 109 former student-athletes. Each of this year's 15 honorees receives $5,000 to contribute towards full-time enrollment in a postgraduate or professional program. First instituted to provide continuing education opportunities for graduating student-athletes, the program awards $75,000 in scholarship funding to former A-10 student-athletes. This marks the seventh year the Atlantic 10 has provided the scholarships to individuals from each Atlantic 10 campus.
"This is an exceptional group of student-athletes, and they are deserving of this prestigious honor," stated Atlantic 10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade. "I commend our membership on their commitment to funding this impactful scholarship and their steadfast support of their student-athletes, athletically and academically. We are proud to assist these extraordinary young women and men in their pursuit of a postgraduate degree."
The class is comprised of 12 female and three male student-athletes, representing eight different sports with an average GPA of 3.81. The selection process involves the league's athletic directors, senior woman administrators and faculty athletic representatives.
2023 Postgraduate Scholarship Honorees
School Name Sport
Davidson Rachel Horowitz Women's Track & Field
Dayton Jessica Sheldon Women's Soccer
Duquesne Hailey Poling Women's Volleyball
Fordham Helen Connolly Women's Track & Field
George Mason
Stephanie Der Women's Volleyball
George Washington Justin Grady Men's Soccer
La Salle Elizabeth Mancini Women's Cross Country
Loyola Chicago Kathleen Simms Women's Cross Country
Massachusetts Nathaniel Cardoza Men's Soccer
Rhode Island Trinity Smith Women's Track & Field
Richmond Claire O'Shaughnessy Women's Swimming
St. Bonaventure Amara Young Women's Tennis
Saint Joseph's Erica Behr Women's Soccer
Saint Louis Anna Walsh Women's Soccer
VCU Logan Amiss Baseball
Over the last nine years, the average GPA of the honorees for the Postgraduate Scholarship Program has been 3.70 or higher. The program, which began honoring two student-athletes in 1991, has been so successful and well-received by both the recipients and the A-10 member institutions that it has expanded several times. The most recent expansion, which was adopted in January of 2015 and implemented that spring, now includes one representative from each A-10 school, which was expanded to include 15 members in 2022-23 following the addition of Loyola Chicago to the A-10.
To be considered for the Postgraduate Scholarship, student-athletes must have performed with distinction both in the classroom and in their respective sports throughout their career, while demonstrating exemplary conduct in the community.
The Postgraduate Scholarship Program is part of the conference's broad-based commitment to student-athlete opportunities and academics. The conference consistently ranks at the top among all Division I Conferences in both Graduation Success Rate (GSR) and the Academic Progress Rate (APR) data released by the NCAA.
About the Atlantic 10 Conference
The Atlantic 10 Conference was founded in 1975 and consists of 15 diverse members across nine states and Washington, D.C. The mission of the Atlantic 10 is to provide an enhanced student-athlete experience through 22 nationally competitive championship sports. The basketball-centric conference is committed to integrity, educational excellence and providing quality equitable championship experiences for its student-athletes, coaches, and support staff. The membership consists of Davidson College, the University of Dayton, Duquesne University, Fordham University, George Mason University, The George Washington University, La Salle University, Loyola University Chicago, the University of Massachusetts, the University of Rhode Island, University of Richmond, St. Bonaventure University, Saint Joseph's University, Saint Louis University and Virginia Commonwealth University. For more information, visit www.atlantic10.com.
