She is one of just 21 female student-athletes across all NCAA Divisions to receive the prestigious scholarship, as well as one of just three SCIAC student-athletes. She is also the first Whittier athlete to be awarded the scholarship since Alex Jelloian ’21 of the baseball program.
The NCAA awards up to 126 postgraduate scholarships annually. The one-time nonrenewable scholarships of $10,000 are awarded three times a year corresponding to each sport season, with 21 scholarships awarded each cycle to women and 21 to men for use in an accredited graduate program.
“I opened the congratulatory email about the scholarship while camping with a friend and felt instant gratitude,” Davidson said. “I immediately wanted to share the exciting news with my parents and others whose support was instrumental in helping me achieve my successes this year. Graduate school is expensive, so not only is this scholarship a humbling honor, but it also helps a lot financially!”
Davidson double-majored in kinesiology and French as a member of Whittier’s lacrosse team. She earned the SCIAC Character Award and College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors in 2023. An athletic training assistant at other home sporting events and a tutor in the Center for Advising and Academic Success, she capped her home career with a dramatic game-winning goal in overtime.
With her Whittier career in the rear-view mirror, Davidson is attending graduate school at the University of Pittsburgh where she is pursuing a doctorate in physical therapy.
“Being a student-athlete at Whittier has enriched my life in countless ways,” Davidson said. “The mentors and sense of community I gained from being a student-athlete were invaluable aspects of my undergraduate career.”