INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Senior Monica Schaffer has become the first women’s soccer player in Allegheny College history to earn a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Postgraduate Scholarship, recently announced.
Schaffer is one of 29 female student-athletes who compete in fall sports across NCAA Divisions I, II, III to capture the award – a one-time grant of $7,500 to any university or professional school. She is the first Allegheny student-athlete to receive the significant honor since men’s swimmer Benjamin Whittam in 2002.
Schaffer was a four-year standout and senior captain for the Gators, appearing in 65 games and starting in 53 for her career. She is a two-time All-North Coast Athletic Conference performer, two-time NSCAA All-East Region Scholar Honorable Mention and NSCAA All-Region Second Team. This season, Schaffer anchored a defense that allowed only 0.61 goals per game and helped Allegheny record 12 shutouts.
In the classroom, she holds a 3.987 grade-point average as a Biology major with a minor in Economics. She is a member of Lambda Sigma (National Sophomore Honor Society), Beta Beta Beta (Biology Honor Society) as well as Phi Beta Kappa. Schaffer is a four-time Trustee Scholar, three-time Distinguished Alden Scholar and Sandra Doan Turk Award winner. She also was honored with the William Edgar Porter Prize and Biology Department Junior Award in 2009.
Schaffer has been heavily involved in volunteer work in her four years, including the Best Buddies Program, Peer Leadership for Freshmen, Camp Lambec Counselor, Kappa Alpha Theta Philanthropy Group, Won by One Jamaica Mission Trip, and Up’Til Dawn. She has applied for medical school and is awaiting notification of acceptances.
The NCAA awards up to 174 postgraduate scholarships annually, 87 for men and 87 for women. The scholarships are awarded to student-athletes who excel academically and athletically and are in their final year of intercollegiate athletics competition. Each sports season (fall, winter and spring), there are 29 scholarships available for men and 29 scholarships available for women. The scholarships are one-time, non-renewable grants.