Curtis Granderson Lights Up Scholarship Celebration

Few professional athletes live out the PCA ethos of “Better Athletes, Better People” like Curtis Granderson. That’s why the 20 high school student-athletes attending as scholarship finalists at the 7^th Annual PCA-Chicago Triple-Impact Competitor^® Scholarship Awards Celebration received such a resonant message from the native Chicagoan, Major League Baseball All-Star, 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner, noted philanthropist and member of Positive Coaching Alliance’s National Advisory Board as he accepted PCA-Chicago’s Excellence in Sports Leadership Award.

Interviewed on-stage by PCA’s Jason Sacks before nearly 200 attendees at the Chicago Sports Museum, Granderson addressed not only the importance of community (above), but also the critical role parents play in helping their children develop as athletes and people (below).

Most notably, Granderson put his money where his mouth was, making a surprise announcement of a $15,000 gift from his Grandkids Foundation to match PCA’s scholarships. As to those scholarships, the recipients were:

Jacob Carli, Geneva
Kaitlyn Coleman, Gwendolyn Brooks College Prep
Grace Rost, Providence Catholic
Jason Tajimaroa, Benito Juarez
Sarah Whiteside, Trinity

As part of a special scholarship funded by PCA Corporate Partner SureID, Carli received his honor from local legend Rudy Ruettiger, the inspiration for the film "Rudy."

Finalists, who also received a portion of the total scholarship funds available, were:

Ngozi Amadikwu, Jones College Prep
Joey Balke, Deerfield
Isabel Bettag, St. Francis
Nicolet Christensen, Downers Grove North
Jacob Claudio, UCSN Garcia
Ricky Costello, Providence Catholic
Mulbe Dillard IV, Whitney M. Young
Carlie Hansen, Northside College Prep
Lauren Komrska, Buffalo Grove
Rachel Koshy, Maine East
Aisat Oladokun, Perspectives Leadership Academy
Delaney Oliveira, Loyola Academy
Yeilin Salgado, Eric Solorio Academy
Michele Sepulveda, Benito Juarez
Scott Stern, Deerfield

Additional honorees at the event included Margaret Stender, Owner of Flow Basketball Academy and Chairperson and Minority Owner of the WNBA's Chicago Sky, who received the Triple-Impact Professional Award for professional success stemming from youth sports. In an on-stage interview by PCA-Chicago Executive Director Tai Duncan, Stender reflected on the parallels between sports and business.

Receiving an Honor the Game Award for organizational excellence in youth sports was Vipers Hockey Club, recognized in the video below, produced by PCA’s Keenan Bigg and Joe Terrasi.

Thanks to all who attended and supported the event! Class of 2018 high school student-athletes may now apply for next year’s scholarships in hopes that we will see them at our next event!

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