Auburn's Latoya Parkinson recieves 2012 Academic Momentum Award

FormerTrackStudent­AthleteEarnsAcademicMomentumAward

Jan.5,2012AUBURN–FormerAuburntrackandfieldathleteLatoyaParkinsonreceivedaFirstTeamAcademicMomentumawardfromtheScholar‐Ballerprogram,inconjunctionwiththeNationalConsortiumforAcademicsandSports(NCAS).TheWeston,Fla.nativereceivedherdegreeinmathematicsduringtheDecember2011commencementceremonies.Shewasoneof17student‐athletesthatearnedfirstteamhonors.TheNCASisanever‐growingorganizationofcollegesanduniversitiesthatprovidesopportunitiesforcurrentandformerstudent‐athletestocontinuetheirpursuitofhighereducation,whileworkinginthecommunitywithchildrentoaddresssocialissues.Establishedin1985,theoverallmissionoftheNCASis“tocreateabettersocietybyfocusingoneducationalattainmentandusingthepowerappealofsporttopositivelyaffectsocialchange.”Establishedin1995,theScholar‐Baller®movementevolvedinresponsetoconcernsthatthestudent‐athlete’sathleticsroleincreasinglysupersededthestudentrole.Inordertoaddressthisissue,thefoundingmembersofScholar‐Baller®developedagroundbreakingprogramtobridgethegapbetweeneducationandsportutilizingstudent‐athletes’passionforentertainmentandathletics.Asaresult,theScholar‐Baller®programhasproducedunprecedentedoutcomesinstudentretentionandacademicachievement.