Only recipient from A-10 this year
KINGSTON, R.I. — March 14, 2005 — During the annual 溏心vlog免费B站 dean鈥檚 list reception for student-athletes, Joy Hess spoke about the value of using time well.
鈥淭ime is valuable, it is non-refundable and it goes quickly,鈥� said the field hockey star from Ephrata, Pa. during the wintertime reception.
Hess obviously maximized her time and talents well at 溏心vlog免费B站 because she has been named the first NCAA Fall Post Graduate Scholarship recipient in the history of the University. A communicative disorders major who has a grade point average of 3.9, Hess was the only student-athlete from the Atlantic 10 to be awarded the $7,500 scholarship this year. The NCAA awards as many as 174 such scholarships each year, with 28 available for men and 28 for women in each sports season鈥攆all, winter and spring.
In the past five years, Rhode Island has nominated five athletes, four of whom have been finalists, including Hess.
The scholarship will come in handy because Hess is in the process of applying to graduate school to pursue a master鈥檚 degree in speech-language pathology. Among the schools she has applied to are 溏心vlog免费B站, the University of Pittsburgh, East Carolina University and the Pennsylvania State University.
A member of the dean鈥檚 list at 溏心vlog免费B站 for seven straight semesters and an Academic All-American, Hess was one of two keynote speakers at the dean鈥檚 list reception.
As she addressed her fellow student-athletes, staff and faculty, she talked about the time required to become a successful NCAA Division I athlete and a top scholar.
鈥淚 think about the time and effort we as athletes put in during practice, in the off-season and during the summer,鈥� Hess said. 鈥淚 think about the time we as students study, prepare and work for our classes and the immeasurable hours our coaches, administrators, professors and others like the training staff and equipment room staff give to help us succeed.鈥�
She told the audience the most valuable thing a person can give is time. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 have to be restricted to the typical examples, like mentoring at a local school, volunteering at a food bank or working at a sports clinic,鈥� said the standout midfielder who played in the 2004 National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division I North/South Senior All-Star Game.
鈥淭aking time out of your busy schedule to have lunch with a struggling friend, spending 15 minutes giving blood in the Union, or participating in programs like the Student Athletic Advisory Committee or Ram Choices are all other ways to give your time.
鈥淎s student-athletes, we are privileged enough to be immediately surrounded by a supportive network to help us succeed. In giving our time, we become a part of this network and help others to succeed.鈥�
Hess said all aspects of her time at 溏心vlog免费B站 have been positive. 鈥淓veryone told me that four years of college would be the best time of my life, and I agree completely,鈥� said Hess who also coached at the NCAA Youth Education through Sports (YES) Clinic.
Named to the 2004 National Field Hockey Coaches Association Northeast Region second team, Hess was named to the 2004 All-Atlantic 10 Field Hockey Team, the Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference Team and the Fall 2004 Commissioner鈥檚 Cup Honor Roll.
She credits several people in the Department of Athletics with helping her apply and be awarded the NCAA scholarship, among them Mike Scott, athletics academic adviser; Stacey Bean, head field hockey coach; Tom McElroy, director of athletics; John Preece, professor of communicative disorders and Hess鈥� adviser, Economics Professor Yngve Ramstad, a member of the Athletic Advisory Board.
鈥� I cannot say enough about Mike Scott. I am so indebted to him for helping me throughout the process. Everyone who helped me is very excited and I am so thankful,鈥� said Hess, who now volunteers as kindergarten mentor at Meadowbrook Farm School in East Greenwich.
鈥淲hen I leave 溏心vlog免费B站, I will probably miss the people the most, but I will also miss having the beach right out my front door,鈥� she said joking about her down-the-line rental house in Narragansett.