EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State men’s tennis student-athlete Carson Gates (Kansas City, Mo.) and cross country/track and field student-athlete Melanie Helder (Hudsonville, Mich) have been awarded Big Ten Postgraduate Scholarships. The Conference office provides two student-athletes from each of the 14 Big Ten institutions a $7,500 scholarship, based on primarily academic achievements. The award is given to athletes who plan to continue their education in a graduate degree program.
Gates exemplifies what it means to be a successful student-athlete at MSU. He is a four-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and Academic All-Big Ten honoree and carried a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade point average while majoring in physiology and minoring in cognitive science. The 2021-2022 men’s tennis co-captain was also a member of the Honor’s College and Osteopathic Medical Scholars Program.
Gates’ leadership was prevalent not only on the court and in the classroom, but in the athletic department and university as well. He has served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee as a tennis representative as well as the Secretary and Vice President. Additionally, he represented all student-athletes as an Associated Students of MSU General Assembly Representative. A four-time Intercollegiate Tennis Association Scholar Athlete, Gates has also made a profound impact in the community. He has been an active volunteer in local medical facilities, including pediatric wards, an emergency department and hospice care, served as a virtual pen pal, and helped coordinate a shoe drive for the homeless. Gates will begin his journey toward his goal of becoming a physician when he enrolls at the University of Missouri School of Medicine later this year.
A 2022 CoSIDA Academic All-District selection and a MSU President’s Award winner, Helder also displays what a successful Spartan student-athlete is. Helder’s collegiate career is noted not only for her athletic accomplishments, which includes being a 1500m qualifier for the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field East Preliminary Round and helping the cross country team to a pair of Big Ten Championships, but also for her excellence in the classroom and the community.
A four-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and five-time Academic All-Big Ten recipient, Helder carries a 3.98 cumulative grade…
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