Two inspirational student-athletes and Novo Nordisk Donnelly Scholarship recipients got the opportunity of a lifetime when they met with Billie Jean King on Tuesday at the US Open.
The USTA Foundation's Novo Nordisk Donnelly Scholarships are given to high-achieving student-athletes who have diabetes, and this year, Chelsea Bluestein and David “Deuce” Daniel were awarded national scholarships of $10,000 each last month when the USTA Foundation announced the nearly $1 million in scholarships it awarded to high school students this year.
In 2023, the inaugural Novo Nordisk Donnelly Coach Scholarship was also awarded to Julie Matheson. Matheson is the assistant coach for the girls' varsity tennis team at Air Academy High School in Colorado Springs, Colo., and teaches youth and adult programming at Colorado Springs Country Club.
To be considered for selection, student-athletes who are entering a four-year college or university program must complete an application that includes the essay question as to how their life has been affected by diabetes. The funds are intended to support the student’s cost of tuition, educational materials, and other related expenses at the college or university the student selects. Tennis coaches also complete an application with an essay question about how their life has been affected by diabetes while teaching tennis at schools, clubs and other programs.
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. First established by King in 1998, the scholarship was associated with the USTA Foundation for the first time in 2021.
Novo Nordisk, a global healthcare company that has been making innovative medicines to help people with diabetes for nearly a century, is the title sponsor of the award. The scholarship is also supported by Dexcom, Tandem Diabetes Care and Cecelia Health.