CLEVELAND - The five winners for the 16th 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 Shannon Bustillos from the University of Maryland.

"At Capital One, we are proud to support students on their academic journey, and are honored to award the 2015 Capital One John McLendon Minority Scholarship to Shannon Bustillos from the University of Maryland," said Byron Daub, senior director of sponsorships at Capital One. "We believe the investment we make in students has a meaningful impact that helps shape future endeavors. We look forward to seeing Shannon continue her already remarkable academic career."

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

"For the second year in a row, we are excited to honor the memory of Curtis Jones by funding a McLendon scholarship in his name," stated N4A Past President Kim Durand, associate AD - student development at the University of Washington. "We congratulate both Destiny and Toddrick on their accomplishments to date and are thrilled we can support their commitment to a career in athletics administration. We hope to see both in our profession in the future as they will impact the lives of student-athletes."

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 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 51st 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 15 professional associations and three foundations. For more information on NACDA, visit www.nacda.com.

Shannon Bustillos, the 2015 Capital One McLendon Scholarship winner, attended the University of Maryland where she earned her undergraduate degree in criminology/criminal justice. While at Maryland, Bustillos was a four-year member of the Terrapins softball team and served as vice president of the Maryland Student-Athlete Advisory Council. She was the Maryland representative at the fall 2013 ACC SAAC meeting and was appointed a member of the Athletic Department Student Advisory Council. Bustillos also interned for the Maryland athletics department and was a member of the university student judiciary honor council. She plans to attend law school and pursue a career in athletics administration.

Toddrick Gotcher, one of this year's N4A McLendon scholarship winners, earned his bachelor's degree in exercise and sports science at Texas Tech University, where he was a member of the basketball team. Gotcher was named Academic All-Big 12 and was a member of the Olympic FLAME program, all while finishing his undergraduate degree in just three years. He is currently in the Sports Management graduate program at Texas Tech, with intentions of earning a double master's in business marketing and sports management by the end of 2016. Gotcher aspires to be an athletics director for a Division I institution, and ultimately obtain a PhD.

Destiny Price, another one of this year's N4A McLendon scholarship winners, attended the University of Texas - Arlington (UTA), where she majored in business administration. Price earned a number of academic accolades throughout her time at UT - Arlington, including the Ronald E. McNail Research Scholar award, the Dr. Frank Lamas Leadership Center Award and the Richard Greene Scholar Award, as well as being named to the Dean's List. Outside the classroom, Price was a marketing and promotions intern for the UT - Arlington athletics department and served as president and vice president of the UTA Chapter of the National Association of Colored Women's Club Inc. She has been accepted into the Ohio University Sports Administration program and is currently an Ohio University Fellow. During her time as a Fellow, Price has interned with the Texas Rangers Baseball Club and the Northern Texas Professional Golfers Association.

Daniel Rodriguez earned his bachelor's degree in English from Washington State University, with plans to pursue a Master's in Sport Athletic Leadership or Sport Administration. While at Washington State, Rodriguez was named to the National Honor Society of Leadership and Success, and was awarded the College Assistant Migrant Program (CAMP) Scholar award. He also participated in many multicultural activities throughout his time at Washington State, including serving as a multicultural student services mentor and as a member of Gamma Iota Omicron, a multicultural community-based fraternity. Rodriguez has applied and been accepted to graduate school at Georgetown University, the University of Washington and Seattle University but is undecided as to where he will pursue his postgraduate degree.

Alicia Whittle attended Kennesaw State University where she earned an undergraduate degree in communication with a concentration in organizational communication. While at Kennesaw State, Whittle competed on the track and field team, where she earned Atlantic Sun All-Conference Academic Team honors, and was also named to the President's List for three years. Whittle was adopted from Jamaica in 1995 by a white pastor and grew up in an all-white family and environment, giving her a unique perspective on race when she began her education at Kennesaw State. Whittle plans to pursue a Master's degree in Integrated Global Communications, while finishing her fifth year of track and field eligibility at Kennesaw State. Her ultimate goal is to work for the Adidas Company.