Oxy Scholars

Oxy Grads Cash in on Education

Wouldn't it be great to get paid for doing your homework? Although that may be a pipe dream for most of us, three recent graduates of Occidental College are, in a sense, being rewarded for doing just that.

Proving that Oxy athletes can excel in the uncompromising academic environment of a liberal arts institution, former sports stars Davin Lundquist '95, John Pike '96 and Will Allan '96 are now enjoying the fruits of their undergraduate labors thanks to some handsome postgraduate scholarships.

Lundquist, who started at quarterback in 1993 and 1994, was one of only 15 players in the nation to win the prestigious National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Scholar Athlete Award. The scholarship was worth $21,000 and was applied to his first year's tuition at medical school. In addition, Lundquist was also named as a recipient of a $5,000 postgraduate scholarship from the NCAA... one of only 29 football players in the nation to earn this award. Davin, who led Oxy to a two-year record of 14-4, majored in Kinesiology (Spanish minor) while carrying a cumulative grade point average of 3.76. In 1993, Lundquist was honored as All-SCIAC first-team quarterback and punter and was selected to the GTE Academic All-America West Region Team.

Pike was a four-year starter on the men's basketball team, finishing as the school's fourth best all-time career scorer with 1,278 points. John, who was a first-team All-SCIAC selection in his junior year, earned a $5,000 NCAA postgraduate scholarship at the end of his senior season. A Rhodes Scholar nominee, Pike is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society, having built an overall GPA of 3.89. An economics major, Pike helped Oxy to four consecutive winning seasons and was last year nominated to the GTE Academic All-America National and West Region Team. Pike was also a member of the 1996 Occidental Golf Team.

Not only an outstanding student, Will Allan was the epitome of excellence in both cross country and track. A consensus, four-year All-SCIAC fixture in cross country, Allan also won a $5,000 NCAA postgraduate scholarship. Will was twice named SCIAC "Runner of the Year" and earned All-America honors in both sports. This past spring Will recorded one of the fastest collegiate clockings in the nation for the 800 meters, blazing Bill Henry Track in a time of 1:49.73. He went on to place eighth at the NCAA Championships this past May, again earning All-America accolades. Academically, Allan majored in Kinesiology and fashioned a 3.30 GPA. Like Pike, he was named to the GTE Academic All-America National and West Region Teams.

Cameron Iverson '04

Occidental Football provides a unique pairing of championship football with extraordinary academic achievement, which is exemplified by Cameron Iverson ’04. Not only was Cameron an important part of Occidental’s 2001 SCIAC Championship and won the 2002 and 2003 Occidental Football Strength and Conditioning Award, he was also named to the 2003 SCIAC All-Academic Team.

Cameron balanced his accomplishments on the field with amazing work in the Chemistry Department at Occidental. His work in the Occidental College Undergraduate Research Program between 2002-2004, earned him a published work that helped gain him entrance into the prestigious University of Chicago. Cameron received his Master of Science in 2005 and has been a Teaching Assistant for General Chemistry at University of Chicago and is currently a University of Chicago Chemistry Department Candidate for PhD.

Now consider what Cameron himself has to say about playing football at Occidental:

-How did playing football at Occidental affect your life post-Occidental?

“Playing football at Occidental taught me many things that have had a profound effect on my post-Oxy life. Among these, I consider accountability, time management, and work ethic to be the most important. The coaching staff and fellow players demand perfection from each other on the field, in the weight room, and in the classroom. Participating in athletics while working through the highly demanding academic program that one finds at Oxy is great for building character. Juggling coursework with in-season practices and off-season training can be a difficult task, but the support and enthusiasm from coaches, faculty, and fellow students went a long way to making it possible.”

-Did playing football and attending college at Occidental help you get into the school/program of your choice?

“Occidental has a very good reputation in academic circles, and the combination of that with playing football for Oxy definitely helped me get into a number of graduate programs, including the one I’m in now, at the University of Chicago.”

-Did playing football at Occidental help you prepare better for Grad school better then your classmates?

“In the first months of graduate school, it was considerably easier for me to stay organized and to budget my time than it was for a number of my fellow graduate students. I attribute this to my experience juggling the time demands of playing football while still thriving in the highly demanding academic atmosphere that one finds at Oxy.”

-How special was playing football at Occidental for you?

“I value my experience as part of the Occidental football team very highly. My fellow players were like an extended family, and the bonds that were formed over the course of long hours working, studying, and hanging out together are very strong. The relationships that were made will last a lifetime.”

Ted Helgart '05

No one player can more accurately depict the excellence pursued and obtained by Occidental Football players both on the field and in the classroom than Ted Helgert ’05. For instance, Ted was voted Most Valuable Offensive Lineman four years in a row by his teammates; a feat accomplished for the first time in the long and storied history of Occidental Football. Ted was also recognized nationally for his accomplishments on the field. Not only was he First-Team All Conference in 2001, 2003, and 2004 he was also voted First-Team Western Region All-American in 2004.

Ted not only dominated on the field, however, he was equally proficient in the classroom. Ted was on the Dean’s List at Occidental, an Academic All-Conference selection, and was recognized as a Western Region Academic All-American in 2004. Ted is currently a graduate student at UCR for Chemistry, and he also works as a Research Assistant and Teacher's Assistant.

Now consider what Ted himself has to say about playing football at Occidental:

-Did playing football at Occidental help you in Grad school?

“Definitely. There is absolutely no other football playing Chem. Majors in graduate school. In fact, that was my most frequently asked question on my recruiting trips to graduate school. The professors I met with were amazed that I could do so well in such a difficult major, yet play such a time-consuming sport. You could say I had a special edge over all of my peers competing for the same spots.”

-Did playing football at Occidental help you prepare better for Grad school better then your classmates?

“I would say yes. From my experiences so far, graduate school is not all about how smart you are. Everyone there is smart, but not everyone can handle the pressure and stress. They have problems dealing with taking class, teaching labs, and working in a research lab. I’ve been doing multiple things though out my collegiate career so it’s not such a big deal to me. Also, many of peers have problems with giving public talks, which are a huge part of graduate school. I’ve preformed in front of an audience of hundreds every week in college, so giving a talk in front of a twenty to thirty people in graduate school doesn’t seem like such a big deal.”

- In your mind, what makes Occidental football different than other programs?

“A winning attitude. From the first time I set foot in Coach Widolff’s office on my recruiting trip the attitude surrounding the football program is “We Will Win,” where as at other schools it was: “we will be a good team, we should have won, we will be good with you.” The coaches and the players had this amazing attitude that they were going to win. Period. It wasn’t that they thought they were better than everyone, or that they were arrogant, as much as it was that they will do whatever it takes to win. Extra film time, extra time in the gym, extra time on the field; they were going to find a way to win. Also unlike other schools, your education will not suffer because of football. Although there is an attitude of “We Will Win,” you will find that the coaches will put football aside for academics every time. Whether it be that you have a midterm during practice, you need to get to a study group, or you need to get to a class, the coaches will let you take off whatever football time you need to help your education.”

Ric Fukushima '06

"Ric is the quintessential Oxy football player; he combines excellence in leadership and performance on the field, while achieving remarkable success in the classroom." - Head Football Coach Dale Widolff

Playing football at Occidental College gives you the opportunity to excel, both on the field and in the classroom: just look at senior Ric Fukushima.  Ric, a graduate of Moanalua High School in Hawaii, was voted team captain his senior year for good reason.  Ric was named to the Tiger's Platinum Lifting Squad in 2005, and also won the King Tiger Award for off-season excellence between his junior and senior year.  He followed up his selection as a 2nd team All-Conference selection in 2004 with a 1st team selection in 2005, his senior year.

Not only did Ric succeed on the field, but he excelled in the classroom as well.  Ric is leaving Occidental with a degree in Physics and has obtained a remarkable 3.45 grade point average.  The Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) noted Ric's impressive accomplishments in the class room with three straight selections to the Academic Al-Conference team in 2005, 2004, and 2003.  Ric also received the conference's highest recognition as he was chosen as the John Zinda Award recipient, which goes to the player in the SCIAC that best epitomizes athletic performance, sportsmanship, and academic excellence.

Now read what Ric himself has to say about playing football at Occidental:

Why did you choose to attend Occidental?

"I chose Occidental because not only was I going to be a part of a very successful football program, but I was also going to be a part of a college institution that would allow me to reach my full potential, academically and personally.  There are colleges that field football programs, and there are great colleges with strong academic reputations.  Occidental combines both better than any other college."

In your mind, what makes Occidental football different then other programs?

"In my mind, I feel that there are no individuals in or football program.  Everyone from Coach Widolff to our third string punter, puts away their egos in exchange for the enjoyment and success of the team."

Did you find it hard to balance football with the tough academics at Occidental?

"Balancing a tough academic schedule with football was not hard for me at all.  All of the coaches understood the importance of a great education, and since playing professional football is not the number one goal in our lives, they understood the sacrifices we made in becoming a professional in another field after graduation."

What can you take away from your experiences playing football for Occidental?

"I will take away strong core values and a great work ethic that Occidental Football has instilled in me for the past four years.  Also the whole team of great friends, especially the 21 other seniors, that shared my passion and love for the game.