July 27, 2012

CLEVELAND - The five winners for the 13th annual John McLendon Minority Postgraduate Scholarship Awards were announced today by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and the John McLendon Minority Scholarship Foundation.

The winners are:

In the spring of 2012, Capital One partnered with the McLendon Minority Scholarship Foundation to endow one of the five $10,000 scholarships being presented. This year's Capital One McLendon Scholarship winner is Orlando Gunn of Louisiana State University.

"Capital one is delighted to award this scholarship to Orlando Gunn," said Byron Daub, senior director of sponsorships for Capital One. "We are honored to have the opportunity to help Orlando achieve academic success as he pursues a graduate degree in athletics administration."

The winners will each receive a $10,000 grant to be used towards postgraduate studies in athletics administration. 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); and Sears, Roebuck and Co.

Minorities (as defined by federal guidelines) who intend to pursue a postgraduate degree in athletics administration are eligible for these scholarships. Students were required to have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and have demonstrated leadership qualities on an institutional or community level.

Biographies on each of the winners and more information about the McLendon Award can be found below.

About the John McLendon Minority Postgraduate Scholarship Program: The John McLendon Minority Postgraduate Scholarship Awards are presented to senior-level minority students who intend to pursue a graduate degree in athletics administration. If you have any questions regarding this program, please visit www.mclendonminorityfoundation.com.

About NACDA: NACDA, now in its 48th year, is the professional and educational association for more than 6,500 college athletics administrators at more than 1,600 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. More than 2,300 athletics administrators annually attend the NACDA Convention. For more information on NACDA and the 13 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.

Stephanie Baugh attended the University of Kansas where she earned an undergraduate degree in sports management. As a member of the women's soccer team, Baugh was a First-Team Academic All-Big 12 honoree and a Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll selection. She was also a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Athletes in Action Leadership Team. After graduation, Baugh obtained intern positions for the Major League Soccer's (MLS) Kansas City Wizards, Raywells Event Management & Marketing and for the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). Baugh is currently an intern for the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA). While at NACWAA, she has assisted in planning the NACWAA Convention, and led the Convention and programming analysis. Baugh will pursue an MBA in sports business through the Warsaw Center at the University of Oregon.

Orlando Gunn the 2012 Capital One McLendon Scholarship Winner, attended Louisiana State University (LSU) where he earned an undergraduate degree in broadcast journalism with a minor in theatre. As a member of the Tigers' football team, Gunn was a two-time Academic Honors Director's Cup honoree and a Southeastern Conference Academic Honor selection. He was a member of the 2007 BCS National Football Championship team. In addition to his exemplary athletics honors, Gunn served as vice president of LSU's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). He was an intern for the NCAA with the Branding & Communications and Student-Athlete Affairs Departments and is an avid volunteer with Disney's Dreamers Academy and the Steve Harvey Foundation. Gunn is currently pursuing his MBA in sports administration within the DeVos Sport Business Management Program at the University of Central Florida. At Central Florida, Gunn serves as a graduate assistant for The Institute for Diversity and Ethics and Sports (TIDES) where he conducts research for the Racial and Gender Report Card.

Marcus Hilliard attended the University of Tennessee, where he earned an undergraduate degree in communication studies. Hilliard was a student equipment manager for the Vols' football program. He was also an active member of Alpha Phi Omega Fraternity, Inc., UTK chapter of NAACP and the Student African-American Brotherhood (SAAB). Not only was he active on campus, he also volunteered in the community with the Knox County Boys and Girls Club and the Love Kitchen. After graduation, Hilliard worked at Duke University as a marketing assistant, assistant ticket manager and staff specialist for administration. Hilliard is currently pursuing a master's degree in physical education - athletics administration at North Carolina Central University. He is active in the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, The Young Professional Experience (TYPE), Black Coaches and Administrators of America (BCA) and a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and John Avery's Boys and Girls Club.

Jacqueline Leung earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Denver, where she was a business administration major and a member of the Pioneers' swimming and diving team. As a member of the swimming and diving team, Leung was a member of the first-place and school record-breaking 800-freestyle relay and also placed second at the Sun Belt Championships in the 400 Individual Medley. Leung was named Scholar Athlete of the Year and was a four-time honoree on the Sun Belt's Commissioner's List. Leung served on the executive board of the University of Denver's Student Athlete-Advisory Committee (SAAC) and was the secretary of Intercollegiate Athletics as part of the student government. She also held the co-president position for the student organization, Be the Change. A native of Gresham, Oregon, Leung would like to pursue a master's in intercollegiate athletics leadership at the University of Washington after she satisfies her two-year commitment to Teach for America.

Jaleesa Rhoden attended the University of Georgia where she earned a dual undergraduate degree in business management and consumer economics. As a member of the Bulldogs' women basketball team, Rhoden was a Dean's List honoree, named to the Athletic Director's Honor Roll and the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Academic Honor Roll. Rhoden now serves as the assistant coordinator for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and is a Student Services and Compliance graduate assistant in the athletics department. She has also served as a Color Analyst for ISP Sports the Georgia Women's Basketball games. Rhoden is active outside the University community as well, serving as a volunteer for the Special Olympics and Toys for Tots. Rhoden is currently pursuing her master's in kinesiology-sport management and policy at Georgia.