ELON, N.C. – Senior men’s soccer captain James Carroll recently became just the second Elon student-athlete to receive a prestigious NCAA postgraduate scholarship. A double major in computer science and physics, Carroll will receive a one-time grant of $7,500 that will help fund his continued study in graduate school.
Carroll was a four-year starter for the Phoenix, leading Elon to its first-ever Southern Conference Tournament title this past fall and making the school’s first appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The midfielder received the A.L. Hook Scholar-Athlete Award, given annually to the Phoenix male and female junior or senior athletes who have the highest cumulative grade point averages. Carroll was also one of 25 SoCon student-athlete recipients of the Coleman Lew Leadership Award based on leadership, academic excellence and athletic achievement in both the college environment and the community.
Carroll was named to the CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-District 3 second team and earned NSCAA University Men Scholar All-South Region first-team honors. He has been honored by the SoCon with academic all-conference accolades throughout his career.
Carroll completed his double major in computer science and physics last December with a 3.98 grade point average and will graduate with the Class of 2012 in May. He is the only award winner from a Southern Conference school in this year’s NCAA scholarship competition. Carroll was nominated for the award by Eric Hall, associate professor of exercise science and Elon’s faculty athletic representative.
Carroll is applying to several schools as he plans to pursue a doctorate in computer science.
“Attending graduate school to earn a Ph.D. in computer science will allow me to pursue my passion for artificial intelligence and robotics,” Carroll said. “I can enhance my preparation for entry into a research position after graduate school, and I can continue to develop pioneering solutions in an effort to create technologies with a beneficial impact on society.”
Carroll is the second Elon graduate to receive the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. Former men’s cross country runner John Tumbleston received the scholarship in 2006 to fund his pursuit of a doctorate in physics.
Each sports season, the NCAA awards up to 29 scholarships to male athletes and 29 to female athletes. According to the NCAA, the scholarships are awarded to student athletes who excel both academically and athletically, who are at least in their final year of intercollegiate athletics competition. The NCAA also considers campus involvement, community service, volunteer activities and demonstrated leadership in selecting award recipients. The scholarship was created in 1964 to promote the postgraduate education of the NCAA’s most accomplished student-athletes.