Hope Reynolds ‘21 has been chosen as the 28th Hope College recipient of an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. The former swimmer has received a one-time, non-renewable scholarship of $10,000.
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.
Reynolds has been accepted into the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Duke University. The native of Exton, Pennsylvania will begin her graduate studies in August.
“It’s such an honor,” Reynolds said of the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. “I want to thank everyone at Hope who helped me through the process; they were amazing. This definitely will help in being able to afford and get through graduate school. I have wanted to become a physical therapist, and this is going to help me get there.”
Hope’s NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Recipients
At Hope, Reynolds majored in exercise science while minoring in both psychology and classical studies. She graduated from Hope this month.
Reynolds was a member of the women’s swimming and diving team for four years. She earned All-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association First Team honors as a junior in 2020. She made the MIAA Academic Honor Roll each of her first three seasons; this season’s honorees will be announced this summer.
Head coach Jake Taber said Reynolds exemplifies what it means to be a student-athlete at Hope.
“This is well deserved,” Taber said. “She thrives in the classroom, is committed in the pool, and devoted in her faith. Every program should be so fortunate to have someone like Hope. Not only is she a great example of how to approach and attack each day, but she also does it with a smile on her face while making those around her better. She has an incredibly bright future and we are so excited for the next stop on her journey at Duke.”
Reynolds expressed gratitude for the ample opportunities being an NCAA Division III student-athlete at Hope gave her.
“At Hope, I was given the chance to continue to swim while also pursuing what I wanted to do academically, which was an amazing gift to have,” Reynolds said.
In April, Reynolds was named the recipient of the Hope Athletics Karen Page Courage Award for her current breast cancer fight.
Watch the Karen Page Courage Award Announcement
Reynolds said the health care she has received during a shoulder injury during her high school swimming career sparked her initial interest in physical therapy as a career.
The unexpected breast cancer diagnosis and treatment solidified her choice, Reynolds said.
“My shoulder was messed up from swimming in high school. To swim without being in pain all the time after therapy meant a lot to me. The healing power of movement drew me to physical therapy,” Reynolds said. “The past year, I have gained a better understanding of what patients need emotionally and physically. I feel like I’m much better able to empathize with what patients need.”