The NCAA has announced that three University of Chicago student-athletes have earned a NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship following the 2023-24 school year. Former Maroons Maya Patel (volleyball), Kyle Garcia (men's swimming & diving) and Molly Laumakis (women's track & field) all received the prestigious honor.
Patel has been a member of distinction for the UChicago volleyball program, playing in all 84 matches that the team competed in over the past three seasons. She also earned UAA All-Conference honors multiple times. In the Maroon record books, she currently ranks ninth in career assists, but her accolades extend off the court. A two-year Co-President of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), Patel also earned UAA All-Academic honors following three campaigns. Patel double majored in Biological Sciences and Art History and is currently applying to medical school.
Garcia, a five-time first team All-American and two-time second team All-American, was also a three-time UAA Champion and earned All-UAA honors in seven events. He also earned UAA-All Academic Honors each year and was named to the UAA President's Council Scholar Athlete Team in 2023 and 2024. An economics major, Garcia will be attending Boston University to obtain a Master of Science in Electrical & Computer Engineering.
Laumakis, a four-year national qualifier and the 2024 National runner-up in the outdoor shot put, was also a nine-time UAA Champion and twelve-time all-conference performer. She was named the UAA Most Outstanding Field Performer for both the indoor and outdoor championships in 2024. Laumakis served as vice president and mental health & wellness chair of SAAC in 2023-24. She double majored in art history and history, philosophy, and social studies of science and medicine. Laumakis will be attending the University of Glasgow to pursue a Master's Degree (MLitt) in Art History: Dress & Textile Histories.
The NCAA awards up to 126 postgraduate scholarships annually. The scholarships are awarded to student-athletes who excel academically and athletically and who are at least in their final year of intercollegiate athletics competition. The one-time non-renewable scholarships of $10,000 are awarded three times a year corresponding to each sport season (fall, winter and spring). Each sports season there are 21 scholarships available for men and 21 scholarships available for women to use in an accredited graduate program. To qualify, student-athletes must maintain at least a 3.2 GPA and be nominated by their institution's Faculty Athletic Representative.
Mission statement for the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship
The NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship was created in 1964 to promote and encourage graduate education by rewarding the Association's most accomplished student-athletes through their participation in NCAA championship and/or emerging sports. Athletics and academic achievements, campus involvement, community service, volunteer activities and demonstrated leadership are evaluated. An equitable approach is employed in reviewing an applicant's nomination form to provide all student-athlete nominees an opportunity to receive the graduate award, regardless of sport, division, gender or race. In maintaining the highest broad-based standards in the selection process, the program aims to reward those individuals whose dedication and effort are reflective of those characteristics necessary to succeed and thrive through graduate study.