December 21, 2023
DALLAS – The National Society of Black Sports Professionals North Texas (BSPNTX) announces its 2023-24 scholarships recipients.
Nine students with North Texas ties are set to receive $20,000 in scholarships – $14,000 to five BSPNTX Leadership Scholarships recipients and $6,000 to four BSPNTX Community Scholarships recipients – during the current academic year.
Michael Malone III, a Murphy, Texas, native pursuing his master’s degree at the University of North Texas, is receiving a BSPNTX scholarship for the third straight year. He has two Community Scholarships to his credit after earning a Leadership Scholarship as an inaugural recipient in 2021-22. MaKayla Martin, a Dallas native pursuing her master’s degree at Texas A&M University-Commerce, is receiving a BSPNTX Leadership Scholarship for the second year in a row.
Martin is one of three recipients receiving $3,000 BSPNTX Leadership Scholarships, joining Ciara Gaines and Joshua Lucas. Miana Graves and Ian Taylor Schlitz are each receiving a $2,500 BSPNTX Leadership Scholarship. Malone, Jeremy McCampbell, Carrington Casteel and Keanna Sims are each being awarded a $1,500 BSPNTX Community Scholarship.
BSPNTX’s single-year record distribution of $20,000 in the third year of its scholarships initiative brings the chapter’s total to $44,500 in dollars distributed to fund 26 scholarships for 23 college students with North Texas ties striving to be among the next generation of professionals with careers in the sports industry.
2023-24 BSPNTX Leadership Scholarships Recipients
• Ciara Gaines (Graduate Student, Dallas, Texas) – Legal Studies (Sports Law & Business) at Arizona State University
• Joshua Lucas (Graduate Student, Garland, Texas) – Sport Entertainment Management at the University of North Texas
• MaKayla Martin (Graduate Student, Dallas, Texas) – Health, Kinesiology and Sports Studies (Athletic Administration Concentration) at Texas A&M University-Commerce
• Miana Graves (Graduate Student, Houston Texas) – Sport Entertainment Management at the University of North Texas
• Ian Taylor Schlitz (Graduate Student, Keller, Texas) – Learning Technologies (Doctoral Program) at the University of North Texas
2023-24 BSPNTX Community Scholarships Recipients
• Carrington Casteel (Sophomore, Ovilla, Texas) – Sport Management at Dallas Baptist University
• Michael Malone III (Senior, Murphy, Texas) – Recreation, Event, and Sport Management (Sport & Event Management Track) at the University of North Texas
• Jeremy McCampbell (Senior, Richardson, Texas) – Sport Management at the University of Texas at Austin • Keanna Sims (Graduate Student, Richardson, Texas) – Sport Entertainment Management at the University of North Texas
Applicants for this year's BSPNTX scholarships had to meet the criteria of 1) being a college sophomore, junior, senior or graduate student at a college or university in the greater North Texas area or being a North Texas-area native pursuing a bachelor's or master's degree in sport management (or sports-related field of study) area, 2) maintaining a current GPA of 3.0 or higher to be considered for a Leadership Scholarship or 2.5 or higher to be considered for a Community Scholarship and 3) submitting a written essay of 500 words or less.
"We are extremely excited to extend a record amount of scholarship dollars to this year’s class of recipients," said BSPNTX Scholarships Committee Chair Cherise Lee. "Being in position to support the next generation of sports professionals as they work to achieve their academic goals is truly one of the most rewarding things we do as a chapter. We are very thankful that we have partners that believe in this initiative and want to recognize students for their work in the classroom and their aspirations to succeed in the sports industry."