Megan Klose, a senior Media and Communication major with a concentration in public relations, has been selected as a finalist for the Jim McKay Scholarship awarded by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 

This annual award grants $10,000 to one male and one female student or student-athlete exhibiting excellence in their academics and showing potential to make a positive impact on the sports communications or public relations industries. After discussing the scholarship with some of her mentors, Klose, a member of the softball team, decided to apply.

“Chris Mullin, the faculty athletics liaison and my current advisor brought it to my attention, after many long talks about my desire to continue my education and ultimately work in the sports communication industry one day,” she explained. “Already knowing the prestigious life of Jim McKay and after researching and learning more about the scholarship itself, I was hooked.”

Klose then completed the 25-question application and two essay questions, and collected four letters of recommendation to submit alongside other academic records.

“It truly goes to show how seriously the NCAA takes these processes and the people who are selected as finalists truly wow them in all departments,” Klose said.

Now, months later, she’s been named a finalist for the scholarship and has been invited to her final interview on April 28.

“I can’t even describe what it means to me,” she said. “Arcadia University has truly blessed me with the most amazing environment to learn and grow both as a student and an athlete. Not only am I graduating with my degree in 3 years with a 4.0, but being named as a finalist for this scholarship just goes to show how versatile and dedicated Division 3 athletes are. The NCAA employee who called me said that it is a true honor that a D3 student made it this far, given that D1 athletes usually have more opportunities and therefore dominate the nomination field.”

At Arcadia, Klose is a captain on the softball team, the recruitment advisor for The Hidden Opponent Arcadia Chapter, a student-employee with the Arcadia Athletic Communications Department, and an active member of the Lives Changed By Christ (LCBC) Church Community. She was also awarded the Kusum Kulkarni Award for Academic Excellence at this year’s Honors Convocation and the Provost’s Prize in 2023.

Following graduation, she will return to her hometown of Harrisburg, Pa., to work as a social media account specialist at WebFX, a digital marketing agency that utilizes technology to develop custom marketing solutions and metrics tracking to meet clients’ needs, but her ambitions don’t stop there.

“I have always planned on working full-time while completing my master’s degree in sports communication or sports journalism,” Klose explained. “If I were fortunate and blessed enough to receive this noble award, I would be able to fund my continued education through my master’s program immediately following my graduation from Arcadia, hopefully finishing the degree by 2025 and then entering the sports industry fully equipped to thrive at any position I desire.”