Maryland Recognizes 60 Graduate Student-Athletes With Special Patch

COLLEGE PARK, MD – Following a bold initiative started last year, 60 Maryland student-athletes will don “GRADUATE” patches on their uniforms in 2022-23, recognizing their accomplishment of receiving an undergraduate degree from Maryland or an other four-year institution as they compete for the Terrapins this year.

Brady Rourke, Associate Athletic Director and the Director of the Gossett Student Athlete Center (GSAC), takes pride in that number and he lauds the faculty and staff for making the postgraduate programs enticing.

“Maryland has an impressive number of college graduates on their rosters this fall,” Rourke said. “When student-athletes were granted the COVID year, applications for post-baccalaureate studies and graduate school admission increased exponentially. Maryland has phenomenal graduate programs, as evidenced by the interest and enrollment of our graduate student-athletes. University of Maryland Graduate Program Directors and Graduate School colleagues are incredible to work with and are very supportive of student-athletes in their programs.”

There is at least one graduate student on 16 of Maryland’s athletic programs, including Alexsis Rubio on gymnastics. Rubio is pursuing a Global Health Certificate after a Bachelor of Arts in Community Health at Maryland.

“Wearing a graduate student patch means accomplishing my educational goals, working towards my career goals, and being able to contribute to my team in the sport I love,” Rubio said.

Additionally, 26 of the graduate students are double-Terps, student-athletes who will finish with both undergraduate and graduate degrees from Maryland.

Fifteen members of the football team will be sporting graduate patches, including 12 who also earned undergraduate degrees from Maryland.

“Student-athletes desire to continue their academic and athletic pursuits at Maryland, and given the academic reputation of Maryland, who can blame them? The number of graduates on our rosters is inspiring,” Rourke said. “As GSAC academic staff, we have the privilege of reviewing the impressive undergraduate academic accomplishments of these graduates and assisting them with the transition to post-baccalaureate or graduate school programs. These student-athletes appreciate the value of a Maryland degree and will surely strengthen their resume by continuing their education while…