Former Black Bear Jermaine Henderson Earns Academic Momentum Award
10/29/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
ORONO, Maine--Former University of Maine football standout Jermaine Henderson has been named a National Consortium for Academics and Sport Scholar-Baller Academic Momentum Award winner for the New England Region.
Henderson played for the Black Bears from 2006-08 and worked in video for the team in 2009 while completing his undergraduate degree in child development and family relations. He now resides in Boston, Mass., where he works at a specialized school with autistic children while working on his Master's Degree at Simmons College in special education.
Henderson was on the 2008 team that went 8-5 and advanced to the NCAA Playoffs, while off the field he earned a Gold Medal last year for being a three time Maine Scholar-Athlete Award winner.
Winning nominations of the Scholar-Baller Award included stories of: overcoming learning disabilities to progress academically; becoming the first in their family to graduate with a degree from a college or university; being an international student who had to persevere through hardships both academically and economically; and organizing local community service involvement within their community.
The NCAS is an ever-growing organization of colleges and universities that provides opportunities for current and former student-athletes to continue their pursuit of higher education, while working in the community with children to address social issues. Established in 1985, the overall mission of the NCAS is "to create a better society by focusing on educational attainment and using the power appeal of sport to positively affect social change."
Established in 1995, the Scholar-Baller® movement evolved in response to concerns that the student-athlete's athletic role increasingly superseded the student role. In order to address this issue, the founding members of Scholar-Baller® developed a ground-breaking program to bridge the gap between education and sport utilizing student-athletes' passion for entertainment and athletics. As a result, the Scholar-Baller® program has produced unprecedented outcomes in student retention and academic achievement.
Each honoree will receive a recognition certificate and authentic Scholar-Baller® patch. In addition, the winners of each region will receive a Thinkman and Thinkwoman Trophy for their academic performances.
All nominees are individually and collectively a testament to the "student" in the "student-athlete." Their commitment to academics and athletics is truly an inspiration.
Henderson is the third-consecutive Black Bears to win the award, joining Jovan Belcher last year and Bruno Dorismond in 2008.
