Grace and elan: 1996 Arthur Ashe nominations - awards for athletic and academic excellence - Cover Story

Black Issues in Higher Education, April 18, 1996

For the third year in a row, Black Issues In Higher Education honors college students of color who excel in both their academic and their athletic pursuits. They have all proved their commitment to the pursuit of excellence by working hard and -- literally -- playing by the rules.

By this they exemplify the spirit of Arthur Ashe Jr., for whom our award is named, and who set for us all an example of clear-sighted dedication.

All those who are listed on our sports-scholar teams, shown on the following pages, deserve hearty congratulations for their hard work. But our two top winners stand out for their accomplishments.

Christina M. Thomaskutty, a senior at Tulane University, has earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.75 while majoring in finance and is an outstanding basketball player, holding Tulane's record -- male or female -- for three-point shots. Over the course of her career she has scored 1,296 points.

Thomaskutty exemplifies another aspect of what we consider to be essential for a winner of the Arthur Ashe Jr. Award -- commitment to community service. She is a member of the Tulane University Senate and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and has volunteered at Children's Hospital for the past three years.

Jacque Vaughn, a junior All-American at the University of Kansas, is well-known to fans of men's basketball. He is a leader both on and off the court of the nationally-ranked Jayhawk basketball team. Perhaps less well known is that while excelling in his sport, he has maintained a cumulative grade point average of 3.70 in the field of business administration.

When Vaughn is not handing out assists on the court, he is assisting the Special Olympics and Camp Jayhawk.

Anyone who has ever tried to pursue two dreams at once knows how difficult it can be. These students have done so with grace and elan.

The honorees were selected by first soliciting nominations from every college in the nation. Sadly, not all colleges participated. But those who did nominated more than 560 students of color who excel as part of an intercollegiate athletic team, have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher and a demonstrated record of service to the institution or community.

Only those students who have completed two full academic years (one year if attending a two-year institution) are eligible.

To all those who were nominated, the staff of Black Issues salutes you and your families for a job well done.

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