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Courtesy of Whittier Athletics--
Teige Barrett '24, a standout on the Whittier College baseball team his senior season, is the latest Whittier College student athlete to receive the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.
The NCAA awards up to 126 postgraduate scholarships annually. The scholarships are awarded to student-athletes who excel academically and athletically and who are at least in their final year of intercollegiate athletics competition.
The one-time non-renewable scholarships of $10,000 are awarded three times a year corresponding to each sport season (fall, winter and spring). Each sports season, there are 21 scholarships available for men and 21 scholarships available for women for use in an accredited graduate program.
All former student-athletes who earned an undergraduate degree from an NCAA member school are eligible to be nominated by that school for an NCAA graduate degree scholarship, regardless of when they received their undergraduate degree.
Barrett received confirmation of his receipt of the scholarship earlier this month, and had a host of people to thank for helping him reach both the academic and athletic heights he did not only for the 2023-24 season, but for his overall career.
"My initial reaction was one of gratitude and joy, as I had just been awarded an amazing scholarship that will have a massive impact on me as I attend graduate school," Barrett said. "I felt very grateful for Dr. Hickey for nominating me as well as writing a letter of recommendation for me and answering my many questions as I navigated the application process.
"I also felt a great sense of thanks for the rest of the mentors that wrote letters of recommendation for me for this scholarship -- my coach Mike Rizzo, who has supported me in the classroom and on the field ever since I began attending Whittier College, as well as for another one of my professors Professor Householder who has always believed in me and pushed me towards success during my time at Whittier. Lastly, I'm thankful for our team mental performance coach Marquis Kidd, who has helped give advice to me on how to be a good teammate and leader for the past two years. I also feel very thankful that I ended up choosing to go to Whittier out of high school because without my professors, coaches, and teammates that I have had here, I would not have been able to have any of the success that I have had both on the field and in the classroom."
Barrett, the 2023-24 Whittier College Presidential Scholar-Athlete, put himself in pole position for the honor with a hot start to the baseball season that saw him mash to the tune of a 5-for-7 (.714) weekend series against California Lutheran University to go with a pair of home runs and six RBIs. His performance was extra significant, however, considering the Poets' two wins over the Kingsmen resulted in the first Cal Lutheran series victory in eight years.
He earned a save in the series as well to punctuate his performance as the accolades began to roll in: SCIAC Hitter of the Week. D3Baseball Team of the Week. And last, but not least, NCBWA (National College Baseball Writer's Association) National Hitter of the Week Honorable Mention. He finished out the year on a high note, earning First Team All-SCIAC honors as well as a Second Team All-Region player and a D3Baseball All-American. However, Barrett was every bit as good in the classroom, where, as a Kinesiology major, wrapped his senior year with a perfect 4.0 GPA.
The balance between academics and athletics on the level Barrett managed to juggle the two is not something that comes easily, and the San Diegoan credits the mentorship of his parents for his ability to compete at a high level in both areas.
"My parents have always stressed the importance of commitment," Barrett said. "-- Commitment to working hard in anything that I do, so as a student-athlete I put all of my energy into succeeding in both athletics and academics. My success was also dependent on my professors and the faculty in the Kinesiology department. They were always there to help in their classes or others, whether that was extra office hours, or answering various questions in person or through email I always had the help and support that I needed. I cannot thank the Kinesiology department enough for giving me such a great education while also making my academic experience at Whittier so rewarding."
Barrett becomes the third Whittier College student-athlete in four years to earn the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. He joins fellow baseball alumnus Alexander Jelloian '21, as well as women's lacrosse standout Chella Davidson '23 as Poets to earn the scholarship.
He is now set to attend California State University Dominguez Hills, where he will look to earn a M.A. while playing out his final season of athletic eligibility at the NCAA Division II level. After that, Barrett is unsure what the future holds for him, but hopes to parlay his graduate studies into becoming a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), and later a baseball coach at the intercollegiate level.
No matter what path he chooses moving forward, Barrett's goal is to motivate and inspire those around him to become the best they can be. Whether it's coaching, teaching, or simply leading by example, Barrett is intently focused on being a positive influence to others in his adult life.
As far as future Presidential Scholar-Athletes and NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship hopefuls are concerned, the former Poet advises them to take advantage of everything that comes with being a Whittier College student-athlete, specifically the peer-to-peer interaction that comes with attending a small sch
"As a small school, Whittier allows for unique access to professors and there is no reason to not take advantage of this access," Barrett said. "My experience at Whittier has shown me that what the professors care about most is your success, and if you ask, they will always provide you with help."
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