Jackie Leung is one of five 2012 winners of the prestigious John McLendon Minority Postgraduate Scholarship Award. Photo courtesy of DU Athletics
University of Denver swimmer Jackie Leung is one of five 2012 winners of the prestigious John McLendon Minority Postgraduate Scholarship Award, announced July 27 by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and the John McLendon Minority Scholarship Foundation.
Leung will receive a $10,000 grant to be used toward postgraduate studies in athletics administration. Leung graduated in spring 2012 with a degree in international business. She is the first DU student-athlete to earn the McLendon scholarship.
As a member of the swimming and diving team, Leung was a member of the first-place and school record-breaking 800-freestyle relay and also placed second at the Sun Belt Championships in the 400 individual medley. Leung was named Scholar Athlete of the Year and was a four-time honoree on the Sun Belt’s Commissioner’s List. Leung served on the executive board of DU’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and was the secretary of Intercollegiate Athletics as part of student government. She also held the co-president position for the student organization Be the Change.
Leung, who was a nine-time Dean’s List honoree, would like to pursue a master’s in intercollegiate athletics leadership at the University of Washington after she satisfies her two-year commitment to Teach for America.
“Jackie is extremely deserving of the McLendon scholarship,” says Associate Athletics Director Cynthia Rail. “She made a tremendous impact in and outside the classroom during her time at Denver. Jackie will undoubtedly continue that trend as she pursues a career in athletic administration. We need bright, enthusiastic, young leaders like her to take an active leadership role in our field, and this scholarship will definitely help her reach that goal.”