• Daniel Samet, Davidson (Cross Country/Track & Field)
• Andrew Lightner, Dayton (Soccer)
• Colin Phillips, Duquesne (Soccer)
• Steve Sholdra, Fordham (Swimming & Diving)
• Evan Porcella, George Mason (Baseball)
• Emma Gaquin, George Washington (Swimming & Diving)
• Kendra Heyer, La Salle (Softball)
• Rebecca Quirie, Massachusetts (Swimming & Diving)
• Michael Casey, Rhode Island (Soccer)
• Emily Gitman, Richmond (Tennis)
• Shannon Haberman, St. Bonaventure (Swimming & Diving)
• Lauren Hehir, Saint Joseph’s (Cross Country/Track & Field)
• Brianna Lore, Saint Louis (Softball)
• Michal Voscek, VCU (Tennis)

The Postgraduate Scholarship Program is part of the conference’s broad-based commitment to student-athlete opportunities and academics. The conference consistently ranks at the top amongst all Division I Conferences in both Graduation Success Rate (GSR) and the Academic Progress Rate (APR) data released by the NCAA. 

The program, which began honoring two student-athletes in 1991, has been so successful and well-received by both the recipients and the A-10 member institutions that it has expanded several times. The most recent expansion, which was adopted in January, 2015 and implemented that spring, now includes one representative from each A-10 school.  To be considered for the Postgraduate Scholarship, student-athletes must have performed with distinction both in the classroom and in their respective sports throughout their career, while demonstrating exemplary conduct in the community. The postgraduate program, which began in 1991 honoring one male and one female student-athlete, first expanded to four recipients in 1997 and then to 10 in 2014.

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2016 Postgraduate Honorees Bios

Daniel Samet, Davidson
Cross Country/Track & Field  | Bethesda, Md.
History/French and Francophone Studies
Samet, a two-time Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference honoree and Commissioner’s Honor Roll recipient, earned Cross Country All-Conference honors based on his performance at 2014 and 2015 Cross Country Championships. Samet was the bronze medalist in the 10,000 meters at both the 2015 and 2016 Outdoor Track & Field Championships with times of 30:56.17 and 30:33.08, respectively. He was named the A-10 Cross Country Performer of the Week in both 2014 and 2015. Samet also received the 2013 Davidson Outdoor Track Coaches Award and was named the 2014 Davidson Cross Country Most Valuable Player. While at Davidson, he has been a member of the Phi Alpha Theta National Honor Society, the Pi Delta Phi National Honor Society and Phi Beta Kappa. Samet served as an Assistant Teacher of French and Francophone Studies along with serving as a Writing Center Tutor.
Postgraduate School: Undecided


Andrew Lightner, Dayton
Men’s Soccer | O’Fallon, Mo.
Economics/Political Science
Lightner, a member of the 2015 A-10 All-Championship Team, was also a two-time Atlantic 10 All-Academic team member and a six-time Commissioner’s Honor Roll recipient. He was named to the Dean’s List at the University of Dayton three consecutive years along with being a member of the University of Dayton Athletic Director’s Honor Roll all four of his years at Dayton. He received the 2016 Rev. Charles L. Collins, S.M. Award for Excellence for Outstanding Citizenship in the University of Dayton Community and was awarded the 2015 University of Dayton Athletics’ Unsung Hero Award.  Lightner also received the 2016 Dr. E.B. O’Leary Award of Excellence and was awarded the 2014 Malawi Practicum Research Fellowship. He has worked as a tutor with the Boys and Girls Club, coached youth soccer camps, and tutored disadvantaged children in the Dayton area.
Postgraduate School: London School of Economics and Political Science


Colin Phillips, Duquesne
Men’s Soccer | Ottawa, Ontario
Biology and Health Sciences
Phillips, a two-time Academic All-Conference selection, was an eight-time University Dean’s List member and Commissioner’s Honor Roll recipient.  He was named Duquesne’s male Student-Athlete of the Year in April. A 2015 CoSIDA First Team Academic All-American, he graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BS in Biology and a BS in Health Sciences.  The two-time A-10 Player of the Week in 2015 was voted First Team All-Conference.  Phillips led his team in all offensive categories, including goals, assists and points.  He ranked tied for first in the A-10 for goals and points, and tied for seventh in assists.  Nationally, he ranked tied for seventh in Division I in both goals and points.  A three-year team captain for the Dukes, Phillips was also a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).  In addition, he volunteered at the Pittsburgh Southside Spring Cleanup, Pittsburgh Jubilee Kitchen and Physical Therapy Aide.
Postgraduate School: Duquesne

Steve Sholdra, Fordham
Men’s Swimming & Diving | Renton, Wash.
International Political Economy and Middle Eastern Studies
Sholdra, the Atlantic 10 Conference record holder in the 200-yard butterfly, holds the school record in all distance freestyle events and the 200-yard butterfly and 400-yard IM.  A three-time First Team All-Conference member, he was an AT&T Winter Nationals Finalist in the 200-yard butterfly.  As a freshman, he earned A-10 Rookie Performer of the Week honors a conference record seven times.  Sholdra was a three-time Academic All-Conference Team member and seven-time Commissioner’s Honor Roll recipient.  A four-year University Dean’s List student, he was awarded the 2015-16 Breakfast of Champions Highest Academic Award for Swimming.  He also was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society, Alpha Sigma Nu Honor Society and Sigma Iota Rhu Honor Society.  Sholdra was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and was a driving force behind the “It’s On Us” campaign in the A-10.  Among his many volunteer activities are tutoring physics and statistics and being a BronxWorks Swim Instructor.  He also was a member of the Fordham Leadership Academy and the Arabic Club, where he served as Vice President.  Sholdra also served as the USA Swimming Athlete Convention Chair and was a speaker at the A-10 Presidents Council and Athletic Directors Joint Meeting.
Postgraduate School: Fordham


Evan Porcella, George Mason
Baseball | Orange, Calif.
Economics
Porcella, a 2014 Atlantic 10 Champion, was a four-time University Dean’s List member and three-time Commissioner’s Honor Roll recipient.  In 2016, he was a Provost Scholar-Athlete and earned the Outstanding Academic Achievement Award from the George Mason University Department of Economics.  Porcella was named to a second Team All-State relief pitcher in 2015 by the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID).  He is ranked in the top five in George Mason history for fewest hits per 9 innings (6.51) and lowest opponent’s batting average (.197).  He also ranks in the top 10 in lowest earned run average (1.93) and fewest earned runs allowed in a season (8).  All four of those marks were set in the 2015 season.  Porcella has done volunteer work for the Jessie Rees Foundation and for Salvation Army.
Postgraduate School: West Virginia University


Emma Gaquin, George Washington
Women’s Swimming & Diving | Hamilton, Mass.
Public Health
Gaquin, a six-time Commissioner’s Honor Roll recipient and seven-time Athletic Department Dean’s List member, ranks eighth at George Washington in the 1,650-yard freestyle.  Twice named to the University Dean’s List, she is a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) and Student-Athlete Leadership Academy.  Gaquin is also the Vice President of Communications for GW Women in STEM (WiSTEM).  She has dedicated time to being a Research Assistant for MEN Count and a volunteer at Manjia, a nonprofit dedicated to reducing food waste.  She has also helped with Make a Wish fundraising and volunteers at the Northeast Animal Shelter.  Gaquin was the recipient of the 2016 Athletic Department Raise High the Community Award for most community service hours logged among all female student-athletes.  She placed fourteenth at the 2014 A-10 Championships in the 1,650-yard freestyle.
Postgraduate School: George Washington

Kendra Heyer, La Salle
Softball
Communication Sciences and Disorders | Bothell, Wash.
Heyer, a eight-time University Dean’s List student and Commissioner’s Honor Roll recipient, was awarded the class of 2016 Outstanding Scholar-Athlete Award and the Student Activities Achievement Award from La Salle University.  Named a Third Team Academic All-American in Spring of 2016, she also was on the softball All-Academic Team. In 2015, she was inducted into the Alpha Epsilon Honor Society and named to the Capital-One Academic All-District Softball Team.  In 2014, Heyer was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Academic Team, and in 2012 she was inducted into the National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS) and the Golden Key International Honour Society.  On the field, she was an All-Rookie selection in 2013 after leading her team in batting average and hits.  Since 2012, Heyer has been a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), the National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NSSHLA) and a tutor at La Salle.  Since 2015, she has been a member of the Peer Associates at La Salle (PALS) Program and a Dissertation Study Research Assistant.  She assisted in organizing fundraising for the ALS and APML, participated in the Beat the Bridge 8k and volunteered as a coach for Skyhawks Sports Academy.  
Postgraduate School: La Salle


Rebecca Quirie, Massachusetts
Women’s Swimming & Diving
Biology | Nepean, Ontario
Quirie, a four-time Commissioner’s Honor Roll recipient, was a University Dean’s List student from 2012-2015 and a Commonwealth Honors College Member from 2012-2016.  She was a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta First Year National Honor Society after accumulating the highest GPA on the swim team as a freshman, and is a member of the Chi Alpha Sigma National College Athlete Honor Society.  Quirie holds the school record for fastest time in the 100-yard backstroke, 200-yard backstroke, 200-yard medley relay and 400-yard medley relay, and the third-fastest time in the 200-yard IM.  She is a two-time Atlantic 10 Conference Bronze Medalist in the 400-yard medley relay and a four-time A-10 Conference Finalist in the 100-yard backstroke.  From 2013-16, Quirie was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), acting as an executive board member her last two years and an A-10 Conference liaison her senior year.  She was a co-captain of the swim team, and also volunteered for Swim Ontario, the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario and the Ottawa Hospital.
Postgraduate School: Undecided


Michael Casey, Rhode Island
Men’s Soccer
Business Finance | Wakefield, R.I.
Casey, a 2015 Senior CLASS Award Second Team All-American, was a seven-time University Dean’s List student and Commissioner’s Honor Roll recipient.  He graduated Magna Cum Laude, was awarded the 2015 College of Business Student Athlete Award and was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Academic Team.  On the field, Casey was the 2012 and 2014 URI Offensive Player of the Year, and a team captain from 2013-2015.  He was also named to the 2014 A-10 All-Championship Team.  His junior and senior year, Casey was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).  He joined the URI Peer Advocacy Program his junior year, and organized the “Walk A Mile in Her Shoes” event.
Postgraduate School: University College of Dublin


Emily Gitman, Richmond
Women’s Tennis
Accounting; Pre-Med Track | Waldwick, N.J.
Gitman, a seven-time Dean’s List recipient at the University of Richmond, was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Academic team in 2015. A team captain on the Women’s Tennis team, she also was named the Richmond Student-Athlete of the Year in 2014 and 2015. Gitman received the 2015 Scholarship Key Award given to the senior with the highest GPA in the Robins School of Business. She is a nominee for this year’s Herb Peterson Award. She is also a member of the international business fraternity Beta Gamma Sigma and has been heavily involved with organizations such as Trick or Treat Street (TOTS), VITA Richmond and PaintYourWish, in which she was the founder.
Postgraduate School: Undecided


Shannon Haberman, St. Bonaventure
Women’s Swimming & Diving
Biology | Wexford, Pa.
Haberman, a four-year University Dean’s List student, was a three-year Commissioner’s Honor Roll recipient.  She was a member of the Phi Eta Sigma Freshman Honor Society and four-year Presidential Scholarship recipient.  She graduated in 2016 with an Honor’s Degree.  In the pool, Haberman broke the school record in the 500-yard freestyle in 2013 and was a member of the school record-breaking 800-yard freestyle relay team in 2014.  She was a six-time top sixteen finisher at the Atlantic 10 Conference Championships.  Haberman was captain of the swim team her senior season and was a leading member of Bona Athletes for Christ.  She also organized a Soles for Souls Shoe Drive and volunteered at the Warming House Soup Kitchen.  During her four years at St. Bonaventure, Haberman conducted biological and biopsychological research.
Postgraduate School: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine


Lauren Hehir, Saint Joseph’s
Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field
Interdisciplinary Health Services | Washingtonville, N.Y.
Hehir, an eight-time Athletic Director’s Honor Roll student, was a five-time University Dean’s List student and six-time Commissioner’s Honor Roll recipient.  She contributed to her Cross Country/Track & Field team being recognized eight times as United States Track and Field and Cross Country Association (USTFCCCA) Division I All-Academic Honors.  Team captain her junior and senior years, Hehir holds the school record holder in the Distance Medley Relay, was SJU’s Fall 2015 Most Outstanding Performer, and was voted Most Dedicated Runner for the 2014-2015 athletic year.  She won the Bronze Medal at the 2014 A-10 Indoor Track & Field Championships in the Distance Medley Relay.  Hehir finished seventh and fifth in that same race in 2015 and 2016, respectively.  She was a member of the Distance Medley Relay team that placed seventh in the Eastern Coast Athletic Conference (ECAC) Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Championships.  A member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), Hehir volunteered at Saunder’s House, runs the annual Kristin’s Krusade Charity 5k and participates in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service.
Postgraduate School: Binghamton University


Brianna Lore, Saint Louis
Softball
Communication Science & Disorders | Bourbon, Mo.
Lore, a four-time Atlantic 10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll recipient and two-time Dean’s List student, is the Saint Louis career leader in wins, starts, innings pitched and appearances. She is a three-time All-Conference honoree, an A-10 All-Rookie Team Member and was the A-10 Co-Pitcher of the Year as a sophomore. A two-time CoSIDA All-Regional Team member, Lore was named a National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Scholar-Athlete in 2014-15 and was a Top 30 Candidate for the Senior CLASS Award. As a freshman, she was named the SLU Most Improved Freshman Female Athlete of the Year and was later named the Most Outstanding Sophomore Female Athlete of the Year. She has been honored as the A-10 Softball Player of the Week two times in her career and as the A-10 Pitcher of the Week three times. Lore has been involved with volunteer organizations including Special Needs Social Association (SPENSA), and has volunteered in the Saint Louis University Campus Kitchen and worked as a youth softball coach.
Postgraduate School: Rockhurst University


Michal Voscek, VCU
Men’s Tennis
Urban & Regional Studies | Bratislava, Slovakia
Voscek, a four-time All-Conference performer and the 2016 Most Outstanding Men’s Tennis Performer, has been a member of the VCU Dean’s list, the A-10 Commissioner’s Honor and the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll three consecutive years. He was also an ITA Scholar-Athlete Award winner in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Voscek has been Captain of the VCU Men’s Tennis team the past two seasons and helped lead the Rams to the 2013 A-10 Championship.  Throughout his collegiate career, Voscek has been involved with SAAC and It’s On Us, along with organizations such as Meet the Rams: Make a Change and Lobs & Lessons. In addition, he was also named Men’s Tennis Iron Ram in 2015 and to the 2015 VaSID All-State team.  
Postgraduate School: VCU

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