Walker earns NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship
NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Honorees
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – After transferring to Lycoming College from a state school at the end of his sophomore year, Justin Walker (Stroudsburg, Pa./Moravian Academy) was just about perfect in the classroom. Perhaps the biggest surprise of his time at Lycoming, though, was just how perfect his one year on the soccer field turned out to be.
That combination makes up one of the most unique stories in the 56-year history of the men's soccer program, which was capped when he was one of 29 senior male student-athletes to earn an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship in the fall, the organization has announced. He is the first Lycoming athlete to earn the prestigious award.
The NCAA awarded one-time, nonrenewable educational grants of $7,500 to 58 student-athletes—29 men and 29 women who competed in fall sports.
"It is an amazing honor to have been selected by the NCAA for this postgraduate scholarship," Walker said. "This is an absolute testament to Lycoming College as a whole - I would not have been able to receive this scholarship without the help and guidance of my professors, peers, coaches [Nate] Gibboney and [Brandon] Kates, and the entire athletic department. I must especially thank the biology department, which was instrumental in my education and pursuit of graduate school, and I look forward to continuing my education next year at the Penn State University College of Medicine."
Walker, who also earned slots on the Middle Atlantic Conference's Academic All-Conference Team and MAC Academic Honor Roll, etched his name in the college's record book on the night of Nov. 6, 2013, when he stepped to the penalty kick line and blasted a kick into the upper left netting, the deciding kick in the Warriors' 5-4 shootout win over eventual national champion Messiah in the Commonwealth Conference semifinals.
"Justin is the epitome of the college student-athlete," Lycoming head men's soccer coach Nate Gibboney wrote in his recommendation letter. "An old adage exists that sports build character. I personally believe that sports expose character. Justin's dedication and commitment brought the team success and these same aspects of Justin's character will impact his success throughout his life. He has constantly shown that he has what it takes to succeed regardless of the task and regardless of the odds."
The Warriors finished the season by winning the first conference title in school history, posting a 5-3 shootout win over Elizabethtown in the conference championship. Lycoming, paced by outside defender Walker, posted eight shutouts on the season, including a school-record run of 548 scoreless minutes, which included five straight shutouts en route to the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament.
It was a dizzying end to Walker's only season with the Warriors. The defender joined the squad in August for his senior campaign, a walk-on under first-year head coach Gibboney. He rarely left the field during his one year with the team. He played more than 2,000 minutes, posted a game-winning goal against Juniata and the defender also added key assists against Albright and Hood.
"Even though the athletic department only had a year with Justin, I can tell you that we are incredibly proud of him as a young man," assistant director of athletics Joe Guistina said in his recommendation letter for Walker. "He joined the soccer team and immediately earned the team's respect and by the end of the year, you could tell he was one of the team's leaders. Once the season ended, he didn't step away from the team. In fact, the Tuesday before and the Sunday after Thanksgiving, when most students were already at home, Justin was helping with game management responsibilities, filming at a basketball game. He is someone who truly understands the value in doing the things that make you a part of a community and the value in being a part of it."
In the classroom and among the Lycoming community, Walker also fully embraced the role of a campus leader. He is a member of the Beta Beta Beta Biology Honor Society, Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society and Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society. The Honorable Mention National Soccer Coaches Association of America Scholar All-East Region pick is also the vice president of the Pre-Health Society and has served as a volunteer at both the Pleasant Valley Manor Nursing Home in Stroudsburg and the St. Anthony's Medical Clinic in Williamsport.
"Justin has great mental discipline as well as a deep sense of responsibility to his fellow human beings," Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Mary Morrison wrote in her recommendation letter. "He came to class and lab every day thoroughly prepared, asking good, subtle questions. Justin 'gets it' when it comes to caring for the body and the mind of patients. He is eager to continue his education so that he can put his own knowledge, compassion and motivation to work for the good of his future patients."
Now in his final semester at Lycoming, Walker is looking to continue to pursue a medical degree, as the biology: anatomy and physiology major will attend the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
"What makes Justin special is his ability to inspire others and make those around him work harder and do better than they would have otherwise," Lycoming Faculty Athletic Representative Sue Beidler wrote in her recommendation letter. "This is true in the classroom and on the field."
To qualify for an NCAA postgraduate scholarship, a student-athlete must be nominated by his or her athletic department, have an overall grade point average of 3.2 (on a 4.0 scale) or its equivalent, and must have performed with distinction as a member of the varsity team in the sport in which the student-athlete was nominated. The student-athlete must have behaved, both on and off the field, in a manner that has brought credit to the student-athlete, the institution, and intercollegiate athletics. The student-athlete also must intend to continue academic work beyond the baccalaureate degree as a full-time or part-time graduate student. The NCAA awards up to 174 postgraduate scholarships annually, 87 for men and 87 for women.
The NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship was created in 1964 to promote and encourage postgraduate education by rewarding the Association's most accomplished student-athletes through their participation in NCAA championship and/or emerging sports. Athletics and academic achievements, as well as campus involvement, community service, volunteer activities and demonstrated leadership, are evaluated. An equitable approach is employed in reviewing each applicant's nomination form to provide opportunity to all student-athlete nominees to receive the postgraduate award, regardless of sport, division, gender or race. In maintaining the highest broad-based standards in the selection process, the program aims to reward those individuals whose dedication and effort are reflective of those characteristics necessary to succeed and thrive through postgraduate study in an accredited graduate degree program.
