Carroll is One of Three to Win Annual MACDA Postgraduate Scholarships
St. Mary's City, Md. — Alice Chen of Division I University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Karisa Carroll of Division III St. Mary's College of Maryland; and Emma Ardolino of Division III McDaniel College (at-large) have won the 2010 Maryland Association of College Directors of Athletics (MACDA) postgraduate scholarships.
The MACDA postgraduate scholarships recognize three student-athletes for superior work in the classroom and on the field. The honorees represent three Maryland institutions of higher learning and differing levels of NCAA competition. Each recipient will receive a non-renewable, one-time grant of $500 upon their enrollment in a postgraduate program.
To be eligible, student-athletes must possess a minimum 3.2 grade-point average in undergraduate studies, excel in a varsity sport, participate in leadership activities beyond the playing field and plan to further their education.
Alice Chen, who hails from North Potomac, Md. (Quince Orchard HS), was a four-year letter winner for the UMBC women's tennis team. Coming off her best campaign in 2010, Chen became a two-time second team All-America East Conference selection in doubles play after first earning the honor in 2007 as a freshman. She was selected by her peers as the Most Improved Athlete in 2006-07 after posting a 15-12 singles mark at the No. 1 flight.
A double major in biochemistry and molecular biology with a 4.0 GPA, Chen was a three-time member of the America East Commissioner's Honor Roll. She was named to both the President's and Dean's Lists every semester of her academic career. Her extracurricular activities included volunteering at St. Agnes Hospital and serving as a biochemistry lab prep assistant treasurer. Chen will be attending the University of Maryland's School of Medicine this fall. Ultimately, she wants to help as many people as she can, and impact the lives of both her family and her future patients.
Karisa Carroll, a native of Long Island, N.Y. (Ward
Melville HS), was a two-sport athlete at St. Mary's in women's
soccer and women's lacrosse. A four-year starter and two-time
team captain in women's soccer, Carroll was a
mainstay of the Seahawk defensive unit and earned two second team
All-Capital Athletic Conference selections. The Seahawks
advanced twice to the CAC championship match; finally winning it
all in 2008 and nabbing the program's first-ever trip to the NCAA
tournament. She also played defense in lacrosse and served as
team captain twice, picking up two IWLCA all-region selections
(2007, 2008) as well as being a three-time second team All-CAC
pick. St. Mary's finished as the CAC runner-up in 2008 and
garnered the program's seventh NCAA tournament berth.
Carroll led the Seahawks in ground balls in all
three of her seasons.
The 2009-10 St. Mary's Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Carroll earned Dean's List recognition all eight semesters, was a 2008 honorable mention NSCAA/adidas® College Women Scholar All-East Region selection, and a 2009 IWLCA Scholar-Athlete. She was inducted into the Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership and Chi Alpha Sigma Student-Athlete Honor Societies. A St. Mary's Senior Scholar (3.5 GPA or higher), Carroll was a four-time member of the CAC All-Academic Team. Her extracurricular activities included being a member of both the St. Mary's Advising Students in Health Club and St. Mary's American Chemistry Society and volunteering at St. Mary's Hospital and Smithtown General Dentistry. Carroll was a chemistry major with a minor in Spanish and a 3.71 GPA. She has been accepted into the University of Maryland's Dental School and will begin her coursework in August. She plans on pursuing a post-doctorate residency program in orthodontics.
Emma Ardolino, a Freeland, Md. (Hereford HS) native, was a four-year letter winner for both the McDaniel field hockey and women's lacrosse teams. In field hockey, Ardolino helped the Green Terror to the semifinals of the Centennial Conference tournament in 2006 while finishing her career as a three-year starter with two goals and a defensive save in 58 games played. She scooped up 82 ground balls and caused 34 turnovers in four years as a defender on the McDaniel lacrosse team. Ardolino was part of the 2007 ECAC championship squad while guiding the Green Terror to two conference tournament semifinal appearances (2007, 2008).
She served as the treasurer for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee as well as the Allied Health Club while volunteering as a fitness test facilitator at the McDaniel Human Performance Lab. Ardolino was named to the NFHCA Division III National Academic Squad all four years and IWLCA Scholar-Athlete plaudits as a junior. She is a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta First-Year Student, Beta Beta Beta Biology, Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership and Phi Beta Kappa Honor Societies as well as being a six-time member of the Centennial academic honor roll. Ardolino was an exercise science & physical education major with a minor in biology with a 3.90 GPA and will be entering the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the University of Delaware this June. She is considering practicing as a physical therapist in an outpatient and sports clinic, and wishes to possibly own and run her own clinic in the future.
