June 19, 2008

FAIRFAX, VA - Six NJIT student-athletes in four sports were honored as 2008 Arthur Ashe, Jr., Sports Scholars in annual awards announced by the magazine Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.

The honorees for NJIT were: Robert Herrera and Kevin Blanco in men's soccer; Rodrigo Correa and Leonardo Paludo in men's volleyball; Angelica Sepulveda in women's soccer; and, Isha Toor in women's tennis.

Here is an alphabetical rundown of this year's award recipients from NJIT:

Kevin Blanco, men's soccer second team; junior from New Brunswick, NJ; business major; Albert Dorman Honors College; cumulative GPA: 3.23; Fall '07 GPA: 3.25; high energy player who played in 16 game in 2007 and registered a goal and two assists for four points (third on the team).

Rodrigo Correa, men's volleyball (one of three men's volleyball players honored); junior from Sao Paulo, Brazil; business major; cumulative GPA: 3.96; Fall `07 GPA: 4.00; three-year starting setter on a team that has made the conference playoffs each of the last two years, advancing to the 2008 semifinals with two postseason wins.

Student Activities Council (SAC) Event Coordinator; Society for Advancement of Management (SAM); Student Senate - Athletics and School Spirit Committee (ASS Committee); Ambassador for the admissions office; Leadership Certificate Program.

Robert Herrera, men's soccer first team; senior for Dover, DE; architecture major; Albert Dorman Honors College; cumulative GPA: 3.57; Fall '07 GPA: 3.63; four-year defensive leader and three-year team captain; one goal scored in 2007 (five in career).

Leonardo Paludo, men's volleyball (one of three men's volleyball players honored); senior from Balneario Camboriu, Brazil; business major; Albert Dorman Honors College; cumulative GPA: 3.60; Fall `07 GPA: 3.90; three-year starting opposite hitter who starred for three years at NJIT; three-time academic all-East; all-East second team in 2007. Leading attacker and server and among the top floor defenders on a team that has made the conference playoffs each of the last two years, advancing to the 2008 semifinals with two postseason wins.

Angelica Sepulveda, women's soccer second team; senior from Jersey City, NJ; civil engineering major; cumulative GPA: 3.70; Fall `07 GPA: 3.75; three-year member of women's soccer who helped the team to a program-record for wins and postseason play in its final season of Division II competition (2005); as a goalkeeper, recorded NJIT's first-ever Division I shutout with 110 spotless minutes vs. Saint Peter's in 2006.

Isha Toor, women's tennis first team; sophomore from Chandigarah, India; business major; Albert Dorman Honors College; cumulative GPA: 3.97; Fall `07 GPA: 3.91; 10-8 in singles, 10-7 in doubles in 2007-08.

Member of SAM (Society for Advancement of Management); helped students as writing tutor during the Fall '07; member of Sikh students association.

Diverse: Issues in Higher Eduction established the Sports Scholars Awards to honor undergraduate students of color who have made achieving both academically and athletically a winning combination.

Inspired by tennis legend Arthur Ashe Jr.'s commitment to education as well as his love for the game of tennis, every college and university in the country is invited to participate in the program by nominating worthy sports scholars. In addition to their athletic ability, Arthur Ashe, Jr., Sports Scholars must exhibit academic excellence and community activism.

To be included, students have to 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.