April 1, 2011
Birmingham, Ala. – Football player John Stokes and soccer player Molly Kinsella have been nominated by Vanderbilt for the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship and cross country athlete Bram Chisholm and basketball player Rebecca Silinski have been nominated for the Brad Davis Community Service Post-Graduate Scholarship.
The H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship has been presented by the Southeastern Conference since 1986 to the league’s top male and female scholar-athletes.
The last Vanderbilt athlete to receive the McWhorter Scholarship was distance runner Erika Schneble in 2005.
The SEC Community Service Post-Graduate Scholarship was named for former Associate Commissioner Brad Davis. Davis succumbed to cancer on March 2, 2006. He had been a member of the SEC staff since 1988, first serving as an assistant commissioner until 1994 when he was promoted to associate commissioner.
The conference will name the 2011 recipients of the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship on April 6 in conjunction with National Student-Athlete Day. The Davis Community Service Post-Graduate Scholarship winners will be announced on April 5.
Highlights of the Vanderbilt nominees include:
John Stokes, Football (Male McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Nominee)
·Will earn a B.A. degree in Medicine, Health and Society in May 2011
·Admitted to Vanderbilt Medical School at the conclusion of his sophomore academic year
·Three-time Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-American All-District Team
·Dean’s List and SEC Academic Honor Roll student
·Four-year letter starter (long snapper – 2007, 08, 09 and linebacker – 2010)
·Member of football team’s Leadership Council and Captain’s Award recipient in 2010.
·Took two service trips to Belize through Manna Project Vanderbilt.
·President of Vanderbilt’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter (2010-11)
·Participated in a clinical research project with a surgical oncologist (2008-09)
·The Memphis native traveled to South Africa as part of USAID service program
Molly Kinsella, Soccer (Female McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Nominee)
·Will earn a B.A. degree in Biological Sciences in May 2011
·Dean’s List and SEC Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year (2010)
·Capital One/CoSIDA first-team Academic All-American and Lowe’s Senior CLASS first-team finalist
·Four-year starter and team co-captain in 2009-10
·Second team All-SEC in 2009-10
·Served as an intern at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
·Taught middle school students as part of Vanderbilt’s “Volunteers for Science”
·Volunteered as a pharmacy technician at a VA Hopsital
·Involved in community service with Fellowship of Christian Athletes
·The Memphis, Tenn. native is the daughter of Peter and Angela Kinsella
Bram Chisholm, Cross Country (Male Davis Community Service Nominee)
·Will earn a B.A. degree in Classics and Economics in May 2011
·Earned Dean’s List honors every semester
·Three-year letter winner and named Vandy’s Most Improved Cross Country Runner (spring 2009)
·Worked with children at Westminster Presbyterian Church, serving as a Youth Group Assistant Leader
·Active in Vanderbilt student government and the Vanderbilt University Chinese Association
·Volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and went to New Orleans to help rebuild homes after Hurricane Katrina
·The Alpharetta, Ga. native is the son of Tim and Louise Chisholm
Rebecca Silinski, Basketball (Female Davis Community Service Nominee)
·Will earn a B.A. degree in Political Science and Communication Studies in May 2011
·Three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll and Dean’s List member
·Four-year letter winner and team captain as a senior
·Named team’s Most Improved Player as a junior
·Has volunteered her time with the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, Nashville Buddy
·Walk and the Gift of Life Kidney Foundation Walk.
·Served as president of Vandy’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee
·Helped organize Senior Day awareness games for Lyme disease and World Vision, which is an organization dedicated to tackling poverty
·Visited with residents at Blakeford at Green Hills Nursing Home
·The Birmingham, Ala. native is the daughter of Rob and Karen Silinski
National Student-Athlete Day was created in 1987 by the National Consortium for Academics and Sports (NCAS) and Northeastern University’s Center for the Study of Sport in Society , and presented by the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).
National Student-Athlete Day is held each April 6 to celebrate outstanding student-athletes who have achieved excellence in academics and athletics while having made significant contributions to the community. It is also a time to recognize those parents, teachers, coaches and school systems which make it possible for young people to find the balance between academics and athletics.
Each year, the SEC, in conjunction with AT&T, an SEC Corporate Champion sponsor, provides the league’s male and female McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship recipients with a $15,000 post-graduate scholarship. The 22 remaining male and female finalists for the award will also receive a $7,500 post-graduate scholarship. The Davis Award recipients each receive a $6,000 post-graduate scholarship, provided by the SEC. The 22 remaining male and female finalists for the award will also receive a $3,000 post-graduate scholarship.
The award recipients are chosen by a committee of Faculty Athletics Representatives from the 12 SEC institutions and are honored at the SEC Spring Meetings in Sandestin, Fla. on June 3.
Last year’s McWhorter Award recipients were Auburn swimmer Jordan Anderson and Tennessee track & field athlete Phoebe Wright. The Davis Award recipients were Georgia track & field athlete John Egan and Auburn gymnast Krissy Voss.