CLEVELAND - The five winners for the 17th 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 Prentice Stone from Kennesaw State University.

"At Capital One, we are proud to support students on their academic journey, and are honored to award the 2016 Capital One John McLendon Minority Scholarship to Prentice Stone from Kennesaw State University," 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 Prentice continue his 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 it is honoring Rashard Hall and Cornell Sneed as its selections for this year’s McLendon Scholarships. 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 third consecutive year, N4A is pleased to honor the memory of Curtis Jones by funding a McLendon scholarship in his name," stated N4A Past President Jean Boyd, senior associate AD for student-athlete development and performance at Arizona State University. "We congratulate both Rashard and Cornell on their outstanding portfolios and are honored to support their commitment to a career in athletics administration. We expect that they will continue on their path toward making an impact on 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.

Rashard Hall is a graduate of Clemson University where he was a four-year letter winner for the Tigers football team.  Only the second Tiger football player to do so, Hall completed his undergraduate studies in just over three years. While at Clemson, he was a two-time Academic All-ACC Selection and a three-time member of the ACC Honor Roll registering a 3.0 grade point average or better for each full academic year. In addition to many academic accolades, Hall serves as the chief fundraiser for the Brian Askew Memorial Scholarship, a scholarship which helps a minority student at Clemson overcome financial hardships, and represented Clemson on the National Collegiate Players Association, where he conferenced and collaborated weekly with collegiate athletics administrators from all across the nation in an effort to maintain player rights. Outside of campus, Hall is an active member of his church and serves as a mentor and basketball coach for young boys at his community’s recreation center. Hall is currently pursuing his graduate degree while serving as an academic advisor at his alma mater. 

Gionna Jackson is set to earn her bachelor’s degree in exercise and sports science at Texas Tech University this fall before embarking on her graduate studies in sport management. While at Texas Tech, Jackson became a stellar track & field student-athlete and excelled both on the track and in the classroom. An Academic All-Big 12 selection and Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll member each year, Jackson also has an equally impressive athletic resume. In her career, she has earned 12 All-Big 12 performer honors and was an All-American in the outdoor triple jump in 2015. Additionally, she has set three top-10 school records in each of the wind-aided outdoor triple jump and the indoor triple jump, and has qualified twice for the NCAA West Preliminaries. Despite balancing demanding academic and athletic calendars, Jackson has also found the time to teach Sunday school for young children at the Community Baptist Church, as well as volunteer as an assistant track & field coach through S.A.C.S (Save a Child Through Sports) in Fort Worth, Texas.  A first generation college student, Jackson will continue her studies in the sport management department at Texas Tech this fall.

Cornell Sneed earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and criminology from East Tennessee State in 2012. A standout thrower on the Buccaneer track & field team, Sneed earned several academic honors, including the ETSU Diversity Scholar of the Year in 2009, and Men’s Track & Field Academic MVP honors in 2012. Additionally, the magna cum laude graduate was selected to the inaugural A-Sun Academic All-Conference Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field teams in 2012, all while maintaining a 3.72 cumulative grade point average. Sneed was also selected as a senior leader and team captain during his senior year at ETSU. Since then, Sneed has continued his passion for athletics and academics serving as a life skills coordinator at the University of Memphis. At Memphis, he works with Tiger student-athletes as the lead advisor for their SAAC, as well as brander and co-coordinator for the Tiger PAWS Student-Athlete Leadership Institute. His passion for serving and positively impacting student-athletes, particularly student-athletes of color, has led him to pursue a doctorate in Global Sport Leadership at ETSU. Despite a demanding course load, Sneed will continue to facilitate leadership and career development programming at Memphis while pursuing his advanced studies.

Prentice Stone, a former captain of the Kennesaw State University football team, is a prime example of perseverance and determination. Becoming an independent minor at age 16, Stone blazed his own trail in pursuit of becoming ‘a man of accomplishment.’ A 2016 graduate in exercise science with a cumulative 3.74 grade point average, Stone was selected to the Big South All-Conference Academic Team, an honor that is typically awarded to an individual who possesses their team’s highest GPA as an upperclassman. All while balancing a demanding schedule between practice and academics, Stone remained committed to his responsibilities as primary caregiver and financial provider for his siblings and worked as an academic assistant in the student-athlete success services office while at KSU. This fall, Stone will enroll in the Special Education graduate program at his alma mater so that he can further educate himself on teaching and directing a student-athlete population that is often times overlooked.

Makenzie Zinger attended Cal State Bakersfield where she earned a bachelor’s degree in human resources. While at CSUB, Zinger competed as a walk-on student-athlete on the softball team, where she was recognized as a Western Athletic Conference scholar-athlete in 2014, and was a member of the Pacific Coast Softball Conference honor roll in 2013. Furthermore, she ranks in the top five percent of Roadrunner student-athletes and served on CSUB’s SAAC.  Outside of her obligations as a student-athlete, Zinger worked in both the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities on campus, as well as in the athletics communications office as part of their game day staff. Zinger was accepted into the University of Washington’s Intercollegiate Athletic Leadership program where she will continue her dreams of pursuing a master’s of education this fall.

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 52nd year, is the professional and educational Association for more than 12,500 college athletics administrators at more than 1,600 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico.  More than 6,500 athletics administrators annually attend NACDA & Affiliates Convention Week.  Additionally, NACDA manages 17 professional associations and three foundations.  For more information on NACDA, visit www.nacda.com.