Forty-six high school students who participate in organized youth tennis programs like the National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) network will receive financial assistance from the USTA Foundation for their upcoming college matriculation.
Each year, the USTA Foundation awards scholarships to deserving, tennis-playing youth who have demonstrated high academic achievement and require financial assistance for college matriculation.
“We are excited to award the 2022 scholarships to these 46 remarkable student-athletes who exemplify the core values of the USTA Foundation and continue to demonstrate academic excellence, leadership, sportsmanship and passion for the sport of tennis,” said Dan Faber, Executive Director, USTA Foundation. “We applaud them for their accomplishments and wish them all the best in their new chapter.”
To date, the USTA Foundation has awarded approximately $60 million in grants and scholarships to help young tennis players achieve their dreams of excellence, both on and off the tennis court.
Below is a list of this year’s scholarships and awardees:
Marian Wood Baird Scholarship Award ($15,000 award)
Awarded to one high school senior who has excelled academically, demonstrated achievements in leadership and participated extensively in an organized community tennis program, the Marian Wood Baird Scholarship was created by the Baird family and named in honor of the late Marian Wood Baird, who had been recognized by the USTA for more than 40 years of volunteer service. The 2022 recipient is Jennifer Labak (Tennis Opportunity Program).
Dwight F. Davis Memorial Scholarship ($10,000 award)
The Dwight F. Davis Memorial Scholarship is granted to two high school seniors who have performed with distinction and have actively participated in extracurricular activities, community service and an organized tennis program. The award is named for Dwight Filley Davis, who began playing tennis at the age of 15 in 1894. In 1900, the year he graduated from college, Davis purchased a commemorative silver bowl as a prize for an international lawn tennis competition, marking the birth of the Davis Cup. Davis became president of the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association in 1923. His grandson, Dwight F. Davis III, created the scholarship to honor his grandfather’s achievements and contributions to tennis. The 2022 recipients are Lindsey Lunn (Greenville CTA) and Ezekiel Salama (Rising Stars Kentucky).
Dwight Mosley Scholarship Award ($10,000 award)
This scholarship was named in memory of Dwight A. Mosley, the first African American elected to the USTA Board of Directors. The Dwight Mosley Scholarship is available to high school seniors of ethnically diverse heritage who have excelled academically and participated extensively in an organized community tennis program. Applicants must demonstrate sportsmanship on and off the court. The 2022 recipients are Isaac Sanders (MTEG) and Janessa Curden (NJTL of Trenton).
Rosalind P. Walter Scholarship Award ($10,000 award)
This scholarship is named in honor of the late Rosalind Palmer Walter, who was responsible for funding the first USTA Foundation scholarship in 1994, well before a comprehensive program was put in place. Mrs. Walter’s commitment to tennis and education didn’t stop with her service to the USTA Foundation Board. She served on the boards of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and Long Island University, and was a trustee of WNET Channel Thirteen and the Paley Center for Media. During World War II, Mrs. Walter was a riveter, where she worked the night shift on a Corsair, building the F4U marine gull-winged fighter airplane and is the inspiration for the 1942 song "Rosie the Riveter." She took tremendous pride in knowing that the hard work, dedication and precision she put into her job helped save lives. The 2022 recipients are Cole Brashear (Marty Hennessy) and Kira McGrown (McAdams NJTL).
Eve Kraft Education & College Scholarship (2,500 award)
The Eve Kraft Education & College Scholarship is bestowed upon two high school seniors who have excelled academically, meaningfully served their communities, played tennis in an organized program and reside in an economically-disadvantaged community. This scholarship is named in memory of Eve Kraft of Princeton, N.J., a tennis pioneer who introduced thousands of young people to tennis, particularly in disadvantaged areas. The 2022 recipients are Oralie Joseph-Gabriel (Highland Park, etc.) and Douglas Monroe (Aces in Motion).
Nora McNeely Hurley Leadership Award ($10,000 award)
The Nora McNeely Hurley Leadership Award is bestowed upon two high school seniors, one male and one female, who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and tennis skills. Awarded $10,000 each, the 2022 recipients are Raphael Benjamin (Grassroots Tennis) and Avery Harris (South Atlanta).
FILA’s Jonathan G. Epstein Spirit of Tennis Scholarship and Martin Mulligan Sr. Spirit of Tennis Scholarship ($15,000 award)
In their inaugural year, the Spirit of Tennis Scholarships presented by FILA provide access and opportunity to students through the USTA Foundation’s NJTL network and were named in honor of two individuals who helped FILA establish its roots in tennis: former President of FILA North America Jonathan G. Epstein, and longtime Global Tennis Marketing Executive Martin Mulligan Sr. The Spirit of Tennis Scholarships will be awarded on an annual basis to two high school seniors who have high academic achievements and demonstrate good character, community leadership and sportsmanship. Each scholarship recipient will receive $15,000 over the course of four years to cover costs of tuition, school-based expenses, and educational materials. The 2022 recipients are Imelda Soto-Garcia (NJTL of Trenton) for the Jonathan G. Epstein Spirit of Tennis Scholarship and Vander Woody (MTEG) for the Martin Mulligan Sr. Spirit of Tennis Scholarship.
Novo Nordisk Donnelly Scholarship
This scholarship is named in honor of Tracey Donnelly Maltby and Diane Donnelly Stone, who along with their father, Bud Donnelly, all played Division I collegiate tennis while affected by the challenges of Type 1 diabetes. Tracey played singles and doubles for four years at the University of Iowa and received All Big Ten honors. Diane was a three-time All-American and 1987 NCAA Doubles champion at Northwestern University and will be inducted into the 2022 ITA Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame. Bud played singles and doubles for four years at Western Michigan University and won six individual Mid-American Conference titles. Novo Nordisk, a global healthcare company that’s been making innovative medicines to help people with diabetes for nearly a century, has been the title sponsor of the award. The scholarship is also supported by Dexcom, Cecelia Health, and Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc.
These scholarships are awarded to students who answered an essay question as to how their life has been affected by diabetes, and who are entering a four-year college or university program, intended to support the student’s cost of tuition, educational materials, and other related expenses at the college or university the student selects. These scholarships will be paid directly to the college or university in which the student is enrolled. Each of 10 regional scholarship winners will receive $5,000 and the two national winners will receive $10,000 each.
The 2022 national recipients are Anne Marie Hiser (Acworth, Ga.) and Bogdan Vizoli (Woodbury, Minn.). Hiser and Vizoli will both meet & greet with tennis legend Billie Jean King at the 2022 US Open.
The 2022 regional recipients are Madison Barnett (Alexander City, Ala.), David (Deuce) Daniel (San Antonio, Texas), Henry Gallagher (Ephrata, Pa.), Spencer Keeter (Yukon, Okla.), Hannah Litke (Jamestown, Ohio), Lourdes Lopez (Clemmons, N.C.), Alyssa Mitchell (Duncan, Okla.), Kaylee Mulligan (Fort Wayne, Ind.), Katrina (Tess) Paton (Fairfield, Iowa), Sophia Poolos (Jasper, Ala.).
Donald Lawson Tisdel Scholarship ($10,000 award)
The USTA Foundation annually awards this scholarship to high school seniors who have excelled academically, demonstrated community service and participated in an organized tennis program. In 2017, the USTA Foundation named its largest college scholarship fund the Donald Lawson Tisdel College Scholarship Fund. Tisdel was a passionate proponent for the sport and a staunch believer in the power of tennis and education to touch and enhance lives. These scholarships are awarded annually to 20-25 high school seniors who have excelled academically, demonstrated community service and participated in an organized tennis program such as National Junior Tennis and Learning.
Twenty-one students from 16 NJTLs will receive this scholarship this year.