CLEVELAND – The National Association of Academic and Student-Athlete Development Professionals (N4A) is accepting applications for the 2027 Wilma Rudolph Student-Athlete Achievement Award.

Wilma Rudolph Student-Athlete Achievement Award

The N4A Wilma Rudolph Student-Athlete Achievement Award is intended to honor student-athletes who have overcome great personal, academic, and/or emotional odds to achieve academic success while participating in intercollegiate athletics. These individuals may not be the best athletes or students and therefore may not have been recognized by other organizations or awards. 

Nonetheless, they have persevered and made significant personal strides toward success.  These are the students who benefit most from academic advisement and student-athlete development programs and represent practitioners' motivation and sense of satisfaction. A sampling of obstacles which award honorees have overcome may include, but are not limited to, poor academic performance, family crisis, medical and/or emotional/mental trauma.

CRITERIA

1. The nominee must have completed three (3) semesters or four (4) quarters at the nominating institution and passed 36 semester or 48 quarter hours.  The nominee must be athletically eligible for the current academic year.
2. The nominee must be in good academic standing - able to continue at the institution.
3. The nominee must be either:
   • A recognized letterwinner; or
   • An active member of their institution's varsity athletics program during the academic year under consideration.
4. Each institution may nominate a maximum of one (1) female and one (1) male student-athlete.
5. Nominations must be submitted by an athletics academic advisor/counselor, student-athlete development professional, or other athletics administrator directly involved in supporting student-athlete success at the nominee's current institution. Nominators are encouraged to collaborate with professionals from any previous institution attended by the student-athlete when doing so would provide additional context regarding the nominee's achievements and personal journey.

CLICK HERE to access the application for the Wilma Rudolph Award.

The deadline for nominations is Monday, March 1, 2027.