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News Release

Jessica Young Named Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Finalist

6/12/2008

FAIRFAX, Va.—UMBC senior forward Jessica Young (Waldorf, Md./Thomas Stone) was selected as one of three female finalists for the 2008 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.

Young scored 24 goals in her four-year soccer career, and she was named to the America East All-Conference First Team in 2005. She was recognized for her prowess both on the field and in the classroom that year, earning ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District First Team honors.

A Rhodes Scholarship nominee in 2007, Young was involved with the Sondheim Public Affairs Scholar Program and was a member of a number of honor societies. She also earned Dean’s List every semester and was on the President’s List four times.

As part of the Public Policy and International Affairs Fellowship Program, Young studies at Princeton University last summer, taking classes in international relations, policy writing, advanced economics and multicultural approaches to public policy. She also interned for Congressman Steny Hoyer in the Office of the Democratic Whip on Capitol Hill as a sophomore.

Young was named Outstanding Political Science Scholar in 2008. In addition, she volunteered at Head Start, Relay Elementary and Habitat for Humanity.

Young earned her bachelor’s degree in public policy last month and will pursue a master’s degree in health promotion from American University on a full fellowship this fall.

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education established the Sports Scholars Awards to honor minority undergraduate students who have achieved both athletically and academically. To be included, students must compete in an intercollegiate sport, maintain a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.2 and be active on their campuses or in their communities.

Momei Qu, a tennis player at University of Illinois, was named the Female Sports Scholar of the Year, while George Washington University women’s basketball player Sarah-Jo Lawrence joined Young as a finalist.

In addition to naming male and female Sports Scholars of the Year and four finalists, Diverse recognizes the top student-athletes in each sport by naming first, second and third teams. UMBC senior track and field standout Aaron James was named to the men’s track and field second team.