From Carnegie Mellon University Athletics
Recent graduate Katie Cecil (Huntington Beach,
Calif./Ocean View) of the Carnegie Mellon University women's tennis
team has been awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. Cecil
will receive a one-time, nonrenewable grant of $7,500 to be used
for part-time or full-time postgraduate study at a university or
professional school.
The scholarship is awarded to student-athletes who excel
academically and athletically and who are in their final year of
intercollegiate athletics competition. The Association awards up to
174 postgraduate scholarships annually, 87 for men and 87 for
women.
"Katie was an exceptional student, athlete and community member
during her time at Carnegie Mellon," said Director of Athletics
Josh Centor. "She represented our university with grace and class
and I know she will continue to do that as an alumna. We are so
proud of Katie's academic and athletic accomplishments. This
national honor is recognition of her outstanding college
career."
Katie graduated from Carnegie Mellon's Mellon College of Science in
May with a cumulative grade point average of 4.0. She won numerous
academic awards including being named a CoSIDA Capital One Academic
All-American twice and earned two straight NCAA Elite 89 Awards for
women's tennis which is presented to the student-athlete with the
highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals
site for each of the NCAA's 89 championships.
On the court, Katie was a two-time All-American in singles and led
the Tartans to two NCAA quarterfinals appearances during her three
years. She was also honored by the Intercollegiate Tennis
Association (ITA) her sophomore year as the National Player to
Watch and as the National Arthur Ashe Jr. for Leadership and
Sportsmanship Award winner her junior year.
Off the court, she was a member of the Carnegie Mellon
Student-Athlete Advisory Council where she volunteered for the
Light's On afterschool and Ten Thousand Villages projects.
During her work with the Light's On project, she interacted with
youth to teach the benefit of afterschool activities while she
supported one of the world's oldest and largest fair trade
organizations through the Ten Thousand Villages program. As a
junior, Cecil led a service project with the tennis team in April
working at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Cecil also
volunteered her time to the St. Bernard Rebuilding Project by
helping to build houses in New Orleans as part of Hurricane Katrina
Relief in 2010.
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. For more information
about the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships, go to www.ncaa.org.