Stephanie Barksdale, a business administration /Management major at Fayetteville State University, is the recipient of the BC Headache Powders CIAA Scholar-Athlete Award. The $2,000 scholarship was presented to Stephanie based on both her academic and athletic achievements. She has been a member of the Lady Broncos for four years, and she helped lead the team to their CIAA Tournament Championship last month in Raleigh.
Her obvious commitment to athletics has not interfered with Barksdale's attention to academic and community service. She has been on the FSU Dean's List through all her four years of school and maintains a 3.43 cumulative grade point average. She is a member of various academic honor organizations, including Phi Eta Sigma, Alpha Kappa Mu, and Delta Mu Delta. She was named Chancellor's Scholar in her junior year and has been chosen a United States Achievement Academy All-American Scholar the last three years.
Barksdale also participates in several community service activities, including the NAACP, Brothers Keeper/Steel Magnolia's Mentoring Program, and she helped develop a basketball skills camp for at-risk youth in her hometown of Houston, TX.
Jackie Tyson, public relations coordinator for Webb Patterson Communications, Inc., presented the award to Barksdale on behalf of BC. "BC recognizes the tremendous sacrifices of students that excel on the court and in the classroom," said Tyson.
Barksdale said the scholarship money will be helpful in paying upcoming expenses associated with graduating. Upon graduation in May, she will be working with Verizon, Inc., in their Marketing Developmental Program. She thanked Marion Crowe, Jr., Sports Information Director, for nominating her.
This effort is one of many BC has undertaken this year to directly benefit Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The company has formed a relationship with Tom Joyner Foundation, which has led to contributions of more that $12,000 to HBCUs in the last year.