As her season and college career wind down, senior Kelly Gonzalez, who plays lacrosse and is a student-trainer for the football and basketball teams, looks to the future receiving the Ethnic Minority Enhancement Postgraduate Scholarship Award from The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). “It’s nice to be recognized for the work I’ve been doing,” Gonzalez said. “It still hasn’t sunk in. I’ve been really busy.”

According to the NCAA, the award is given to 26 qualified minority and female candidates in intercollegiate athletics. The scholarships are for 13 ethnic minorities and 13 female college graduates who are looking for admissions or have been accepted into a sports administration or related program that will help them find a job in intercollegiate athletics.

“She is a woman that will make the most of such an award,” said Susanna Young, assistant woman’s lacrosse coach. “It rewards her academic achievements and will allow her to contribute back to intercollegiate athletics.”

Kelly’s mother, Julie Gonzalez, said that Kelly deserves the award for all that she’s done.

“She has worked so hard and deserves every bit of it,” said Julie Gonzalez. “Her hard work is paying off and I am extremely proud. I am her biggest fan.”

According to the NCAA, students are qualified for the scholarship if they are involved with extracurricular activities, course work, and are committed to pursue a career in intercollegiate athletics.

“I’m so excited for her and her family,” said the Head Lacrosse Coach Matthew Grosso. “This says a lot about her, as an athlete and a student. She works hard in the classroom and she has taken advantage of her opportunities as an intercollegiate athlete. She deserves to have recognition from working hard as a student-trainer, athlete and student. She has a 3.68 GPA and she puts in numerous hours off the field and out of the classroom, and that blows my mind.”

Before Kelly decided to attend Guilford, she asked the Head Athletic Trainer, Mary Broos, if she would be able to be a lacrosse player, a student athletic trainer, and a student at the same time.

“I reassured her that she would be able to,” Broos said. “She knew that she would be able to do this since her freshman year. She is a very disciplined person, whether on the field, in the training room, or in the classroom, where she gets mainly A’s. Not many people can do that and that makes her stand out to me.”

Her mother said that Kelly knows hard work will allow her to succeed.

“She works hard because she knows it will get her what she wants,” Julie Gonzalez said. “She is among the very few who knows what she wants, and she’s not afraid of hard work.”

Gonzalez has been on the lacrosse team since her first year at Guilford. She has been a starter for three years and is currently a captain.

“Kelly contributes as a great vocal leader on the field, along with her ability to play any position assigned to her,” said sophomore teammate Alyzza Callahan, a goalie. “When Kelly is in front of me, I know that she’s going to work her hardest to keep the other team’s attacker out of scoring position. I love the hard work and dedication that she shows to the team and the sport of lacrosse.”

Gonzalez is a teacher’s assistant for Craig Eilbacher’s Physical Exam Assessment class. Eilbacher, a visiting instructor in sports studies, commented that Kelly pushes him in class.

“She is a student that is excited about learning and the field of sports medicine,” said Eilbacher. “You never have to worry about her coming to class. She’s just a hard worker. She makes it challenging for me to teach, because she’s bright and studious. Students like Kelly keep me on my game and up to date. She’s one of the top students I’ve worked with and I am blessed to have students like her.”

She has been on the Student-Athlete Honor Roll six times and is on the deans list, as a Sports Medicine and Health Sciences double-major.

In 2007, Gonzalez received her team’s Coach’s Award and Second Team All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) honors after finishing second on the team in caused turnovers and third in groundballs.

In 2008, she received the college’s highest honor for athletic ability and leadership, the Athletic Leadership Award.

“She’s very intense on the field,” Grosso said. “She expects a lot of herself and her teammates. It can be intimidating, because they respect her. She has a great voice and leadership. She has a great perspective on the game.”

She is a member of Guilford’s Scholarship Society, president of Guilford’s Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), and a Lefty Ralls Scholar.

Gonzalez has been accepted into Shenandoah University’s dual masters program in athletics training and doctrine physical therapy.

“I found out a week ago,” Gonzalez said. “They take five people per year. I will be looking into professional sports, as a trainer and physical therapist for sports. In grad school, I am not sure if I will have time to play sports; but doing a sport for so many years, it’s not easy to give up. I will definitely find a way to play, and possibly coach some time in the future.”

Broos said that Kelly will do extremely well as a physical therapist and athletic trainer.

“I don’t know how to improve anything that Kelly does,” Broos said. “She is going to excel, as a physical therapist and an athletic trainer. There will be some lucky young people working for her.”

Eilbacher said Kelly’s hard work has brought her great success.

“I can give you a thousand reasons why Kelly is exceptional,” Eilbacher said. “You know you are going to get 100 percent.