CLEVELAND - The five winners for the 15th 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 Aaron Henderson from the University of South Carolina.

"At Capital One, we are proud to support students on their academic journey, and we are honored to award the 2014 Capital One John McLendon Minority scholarship to Aaron Henderson from the University of South Carolina," said Byron Daub, senior director of sponsorships for Capital One. "We believe that the investment we make in a student's future will have a ripple effect that will last for years, and we look forward to seeing Aaron continue on his already remarkable academic career."

In addition to Capital One, the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletes (N4A) has sponsored two of the $10,000 scholarships as well, to aid in the education of future athletics academic advisors. N4A is proud to announce that they are honoring Shayla Bivens and Evanna Howell as their selections for this year's McLendon Scholarship recipients. One of N4A's scholarships is in memory of Curtis Jones, former associate athletic director for academic support at West Virginia, who passed away suddenly in September 2013. Jones was an N4A Board Member at the time of his death.

"We are excited to honor Curtis in this way," said Jim Pignataro, immediate N4A Past President and associate AD for student services at Michigan State University. "Shayla and Evanna show great potential in the athletics administration field and I believe they have the ability to make significant contributions to our profession in the near future."

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 3.2 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 Scholarship 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 50th year, is the professional and educational Association for more than 11,000 college athletics administrators at more than 1,600 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. More than 5,500 athletics administrators annually attend NACDA & Affiliates Convention Week. Additionally, NACDA manages 14 professional associations and three foundations. For more information on NACDA, visit www.nacda.com.

Shayla Bivens, one of this year's N4A McLendon scholarship winners, attended Georgia Tech where she earned her undergraduate degree in science, technology and culture, with a minor in law. While at Georgia Tech, Bivens was a member and captain of the women's basketball team and served as President of the Georgia Tech Student-Athlete Advisory Board (SAAB) for two years. As President of SAAB, she also sat on the Georgia Tech Athletic Association Board of Directors. Bivens was a member of the 2014 All-ACC Academic Team and named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll four times. She has also been active in the Atlanta community, making numerous visits to Bright Futures Academy in West Atlanta and has participated in the annual Michael Isenhour Toy Drive. Bivens hopes to attend graduate school at UNC after working for a year at an Atlanta-based startup marketing firm.

Aaron Henderson, the 2014 Capital One McLendon Scholarship winner, attended the University of South Carolina where he earned an undergraduate degree in sports management, with a minor in leadership studies. He won the University of South Carolina Office of Multicultural Student Affairs Minority Freshman Academic Excellence Award and was a State of South Carolina LIFE Scholarship recipient. He was the major gifts intern within the South Carolina athletic department, where he assisted the development staff with the identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of major gifts prospects. Henderson is currently working towards his Master of Business Administration (MBA)/Master of Sport Administration (MSA) at Ohio University, where he is the first Russell Athletic Campus Brand Manager Graduate Assistant. In this role, he is tasked with growing Russell's partnership with Ohio University and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), increasing sales of Russell merchandise in the Athens, Ohio market and other branding and marketing initiatives. He also currently serves as a marketing and sponsorship consultant at the Southern Ohio Copperheads, a local collegiate summer league baseball team.

Evanna Howell, one of this year's N4A McLendon scholarship winners, earned her undergraduate degree at Winston-Salem State University (WSSU), where she was a sport management major and mass communications minor, graduating cum laude while also being named to the Dean's list. Following her time at WSSU, Howell was named the Marketing & Promotions Coordinator for UMass Athletics. She has also served as the Guest Services Intern at the Daytona International Speedway and Event Presentation Intern for the Charlotte Bobcats Sport & Entertainment. Howell is also active in the community, volunteering for Cats Care Book Bus, Adopt-A-Street, Belk Bowl Fan Fest, among many more. Howell will begin graduate school at UCF's DeVos Sport Business Management program this fall. Following the completion of her degree in 2016, she intends to seek employment in intercollegiate athletics event marketing or game operations.

Joseph Watkins earned his bachelor's degree in recreational sports management with a minor in business from North Carolina Central University (NCCU), and is currently enrolled in the graduate sport administration program at Ohio University. As an undergraduate at NCCU, Watkins earned the Chancellor's Scholars award, the Carl E. Washington Recreation Award and the award for the highest academic achievement in Parks, Recreation and Leisure studies. He served as the athletics compliance intern and student affairs administrative assistant at NCCU as an undergraduate, as well. In addition, he spent time in Duke University's compliance department, as well as serving as a facility monitor where he gained experience in emergency protocol and guest services. At Ohio, Watkins serves as graduate assistant in the College of Business where he assists in planning and development of the new Schey Sales Centre website and works with corporate partners and other financial supporters.

Matthew White attended Indiana Tech where he earned an undergraduate degree in organizational leadership, graduating magna cum laude. White has worked at the NCAA since 2007, first serving in client relations at the eligibility center, where he provided expertise on initial eligibility cases and assisted in the eligibility process for recruited prospective student-athletes. Most recently, White has transitioned into the Coordinator of Championships: Community Programs and Youth Clinics position. In that position, White oversees youth clinics and community initiatives at eight of the NCAA's Equity Championships, while also collaborating the NCAA Team Works™ brand launch to position all community efforts fall under one brand. White hopes to immediately pursue a Master's degree in Sports Administration, potentially from Ohio University, and is currently in the application process.