Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com
Rotunda Awarded Prestigious Watson Fellowship
3/16/2016 12:39:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Comments from Rotunda (Video)
Senior Summer Experiences
Thomas J. Watson Fellowship Website
DavidsonPhotos.com
DAVIDSON, N.C. – Alec Rotunda '16 of the Davidson men's soccer team has been awarded the prestigious Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, as announced Tuesday.
This year, 152 finalists were selected from 40 partner institutions for the national competition, and 40 fellows were named.
About the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship
The Thomas J. Watson Fellowship is a one-year grant for purposeful, independent study outside the United States, awarded to graduating seniors nominated by one of 40 partner colleges.
The Watson is a rare window of time after college and pre-career to engage your deepest interest on a world scale. Fellows conceive original projects, execute them outside of the United States for one year and embrace the ensuing journey. They decide where to go, who to meet and when to change course. They do not affiliate with academic institutions and may not hold formal employment.
The program produces a year of personal insight, perspective and confidence that shapes the arc of fellows' lives. Started in 1968, Watson alumni comprise leaders in every field. The one-year stipend is $30,000. Only partner colleges may nominate students.
Rotunda On the Pitch
A four-year letterwinner for the Wildcats, Rotunda appeared in 47 career contests including 18 starts… After sitting out the 2014 season due to injury, he made a dramatic return in 2015 scoring a team-best five goals, including a pair of game-winners… Rotunda finished his playing career with 8 goals, 1 assist and 17 total points.
Comments from Head Men's Soccer Coach Matt Spear
"Alec is one of the more earnest and well-rounded people I know, and it is totally awesome that he's being rewarded for such a prestigious award. It's especially exciting and gratifying that he will be channeling his passion for and belief in soccer to learn more about the sport's impact on people. It's easy to say that soccer is the world's most global phenomenon, but a whole other level for Alec to travel and to dig deeper.
The experience will cultivate not just Alec's affinity for athletics, but it will further his awareness and life plans to affect education, leadership, and service."
Alec Rotunda '16: Personal Growth and Character Development in International Youth Soccer
Written By Savannah Haeger '16
Alec Rotunda '16, of Greensboro, North Carolina, juggles the demands of a philosophy major, Division I athletics and campus leadership.
The men's soccer team stand out has proven to be a leader among his teammates. Even when sidelined with a potential career-ending injury, Rotunda supported his teammates by assisting with practices and games. He returned to the field this year as the team's leading scorer, netting five goals for the season and leading the team through major contests against N.C. State and Duke. Additionally, he spent a summer interning with Street Soccer USA, a non-profit organization founded by Lawrence Cann '00 that uses sport as a means of sparking social change and empowering those who are disadvantaged.
Rotunda's love of soccer and belief in the ways in which sport can cultivate personal characteristics led him to apply for a Watson Fellowship with a project titled, "Uncovering the World's Game: A Study of Personal Growth and Character Development in International Youth Soccer."
Rotunda hopes to learn from his Watson year about different perspectives on and benefits of soccer in society, with the goal of becoming a more conscious global citizen. Rotunda will work with teams and grassroots organizations in Germany, India, Ghana and South Africa to explore how soccer inspires and prepares youths for life.
"While not every kid will grow up to play professionally, one of the biggest values of soccer is the intangible lessons learned on the field," explained Rotunda. "In my project, I plan to explore how soccer organizations recognize the responsibility they have in developing their players as human beings."
At Davidson, Rotunda now serves as the chair of the Honor Council. In this capacity, and through his previous role as the inaugural speaker series committee chair, he works to promote positive conversations around the Honor Code in addition to upholding its traditional role as a judicial body.
"The Honor Code brought me to Davidson because of the culture it creates on campus," Rotunda said. "We engage with the Honor Code in every facet of our Davidson lives."
Rotunda receives the Susan and Peter Andrews Men's Soccer Scholarship, the Charlie Slagle Soccer Scholarship and the Britt Armfield Preyer Scholarship.
Senior Summer Experiences
Thomas J. Watson Fellowship Website
DavidsonPhotos.com
DAVIDSON, N.C. – Alec Rotunda '16 of the Davidson men's soccer team has been awarded the prestigious Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, as announced Tuesday.
This year, 152 finalists were selected from 40 partner institutions for the national competition, and 40 fellows were named.
About the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship
The Thomas J. Watson Fellowship is a one-year grant for purposeful, independent study outside the United States, awarded to graduating seniors nominated by one of 40 partner colleges.
The Watson is a rare window of time after college and pre-career to engage your deepest interest on a world scale. Fellows conceive original projects, execute them outside of the United States for one year and embrace the ensuing journey. They decide where to go, who to meet and when to change course. They do not affiliate with academic institutions and may not hold formal employment.
The program produces a year of personal insight, perspective and confidence that shapes the arc of fellows' lives. Started in 1968, Watson alumni comprise leaders in every field. The one-year stipend is $30,000. Only partner colleges may nominate students.
Rotunda On the Pitch
A four-year letterwinner for the Wildcats, Rotunda appeared in 47 career contests including 18 starts… After sitting out the 2014 season due to injury, he made a dramatic return in 2015 scoring a team-best five goals, including a pair of game-winners… Rotunda finished his playing career with 8 goals, 1 assist and 17 total points.
Comments from Head Men's Soccer Coach Matt Spear
"Alec is one of the more earnest and well-rounded people I know, and it is totally awesome that he's being rewarded for such a prestigious award. It's especially exciting and gratifying that he will be channeling his passion for and belief in soccer to learn more about the sport's impact on people. It's easy to say that soccer is the world's most global phenomenon, but a whole other level for Alec to travel and to dig deeper.
The experience will cultivate not just Alec's affinity for athletics, but it will further his awareness and life plans to affect education, leadership, and service."
Alec Rotunda '16: Personal Growth and Character Development in International Youth Soccer
Written By Savannah Haeger '16
Alec Rotunda '16, of Greensboro, North Carolina, juggles the demands of a philosophy major, Division I athletics and campus leadership.
The men's soccer team stand out has proven to be a leader among his teammates. Even when sidelined with a potential career-ending injury, Rotunda supported his teammates by assisting with practices and games. He returned to the field this year as the team's leading scorer, netting five goals for the season and leading the team through major contests against N.C. State and Duke. Additionally, he spent a summer interning with Street Soccer USA, a non-profit organization founded by Lawrence Cann '00 that uses sport as a means of sparking social change and empowering those who are disadvantaged.
Rotunda's love of soccer and belief in the ways in which sport can cultivate personal characteristics led him to apply for a Watson Fellowship with a project titled, "Uncovering the World's Game: A Study of Personal Growth and Character Development in International Youth Soccer."
Rotunda hopes to learn from his Watson year about different perspectives on and benefits of soccer in society, with the goal of becoming a more conscious global citizen. Rotunda will work with teams and grassroots organizations in Germany, India, Ghana and South Africa to explore how soccer inspires and prepares youths for life.
"While not every kid will grow up to play professionally, one of the biggest values of soccer is the intangible lessons learned on the field," explained Rotunda. "In my project, I plan to explore how soccer organizations recognize the responsibility they have in developing their players as human beings."
At Davidson, Rotunda now serves as the chair of the Honor Council. In this capacity, and through his previous role as the inaugural speaker series committee chair, he works to promote positive conversations around the Honor Code in addition to upholding its traditional role as a judicial body.
"The Honor Code brought me to Davidson because of the culture it creates on campus," Rotunda said. "We engage with the Honor Code in every facet of our Davidson lives."
Rotunda receives the Susan and Peter Andrews Men's Soccer Scholarship, the Charlie Slagle Soccer Scholarship and the Britt Armfield Preyer Scholarship.
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