Melissa Bellomy Named Finalist for NCAA Walter Byers Scholarship

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Senior volleyball player Melissa Bellomy (Arlington, Texas) is one of six finalists for the NCAA Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarship.

The Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarships were established in 1988 and recognize the contributions of former NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. The awards encourage academic achievement of student-athletes. Each Byers Scholar will receive a $24,000 scholarship.

Recipients of the award must have a 3.5 grade-point average (4.0 scale), demonstrate evidence of superior character and leadership and show that participation in athletics has been a positive influence on their personal and intellectual development. Two finalists, a male and a female, will be selected later this month as recipients of the 2010 Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarships.

A three-time Academic All-BIG EAST selection, Melissa Bellomy helped guide the Seton Hall women's volleyball team to its first conference playoff appearance in 15 years in 2009.  A Biochemistry major, Bellomy plans to attend medical school, where she wants to focus on pediatrics and conduct translational research.  She is already an experienced researcher, having participated in several projects at Seton Hall, and completed an internship last summer at Vanderbilt Medical School.  An accomplished singer, Bellomy participates in the University choir and sings the National Anthem before many men's and women's basketball and volleyball games.  Dedicated to her community work, she founded the "Pirates in Training" program that connects students with autism and other disabilities with the University campus and student-athletes at Seton Hall.

The finalists for the 2010 awards are: