FORMER LA ROCHE BASKETBALL PLAYER EARNS POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
Former La Roche University men's basketball player Kennedy Smith has been selected as one of nine recipients nationwide for the McLendon Foundation Postgraduate Scholarship Award.
Former La Roche University men's basketball player Kennedy Smith has been selected as one of nine recipients nationwide for the McLendon Foundation Postgraduate Scholarship Award.
"On behalf of The McLendon Foundation and our Board, we would like to congratulate this year's scholarship recipients," said Bob Vecchione, President of the McLendon Foundation and Chief Experience Officer - Emeritus at NACDA. "Coach McLendon truly believed in the value of education, and we are proud to honor his legacy by supporting the continued educational pursuits of these nine future leaders."
The 2024 John McLendon Minority Postgraduate Scholarship recipients are:
| Student | Undergraduate Institution | Undergraduate Major |
| Alexis Black | North Carolina A&T State University | Journalism and Mass Communications |
| Danielle Dyer | Elon University | Sports Management |
| Kerrington Johnson | Wofford College | Finance |
| Eron Lord | Howard University | Health, Human Performance and Leisure Studies, Sports Medicine Concentration |
| Karina Maciel | University of California, Los Angeles | Business Economics |
| Himani Mor | Miranda House (New Delhi) | Political Science and Physical Education |
| Marissa Popoola | University of Nebraska-Lincoln | Psychology |
| Kennedy Smith | La Roche University | Marketing & Business Management |
| Tommy Woods | Norfolk State University | Interdisciplinary Studies |
Through the support of the Fiesta Bowl's endowment commitment to the Foundation, a McLendon Foundation Minority Postgraduate Scholarship is awarded each year to a student associated with an Arizona-based four-year institution. The McLendon Scholarship, presented by the Fiesta Bowl, is being awarded to Kennedy Smith, who is pursuing a graduate degree from Arizona State University.
"The Fiesta Bowl Organization is proud to help students from underrepresented populations enhance their career opportunities with additional education through the McLendon Foundation Minority Postgraduate Scholarship." said Erik Moses, Fiesta Bowl Executive Director & CEO. "We are pleased to support Kennedy Smith as he extends his academic journey at Arizona State University."
Smith graduated from La Roche with a bachelor of arts degree in marketing and business management in May 2021, where he was a basketball student-athlete and served as a team captain. Smith is in the process of completing his masters in sports law and business from Arizona State University.
The McLendon Minority Postgraduate Scholarship program is awarding $10,000 grants to winners. These grants are intended to support postgraduate studies, helping recipients to pursue careers in the sports industry. Funding for the scholarship program has been provided in part by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA); the Cleveland Cavaliers; Major League Baseball (MLB); the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC); the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA); the National Basketball Association (NBA); the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA); Capital One; and Sears, Roebuck and Co. As of the 2022-23 academic year, the John McLendon Minority Postgraduate Scholarship Program has awarded over 130 scholarships, totaling over $1.45 million.