Westmont College Athletics

By Ron Smith
September 17, 2018
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.)  Westmont junior Cassidy Rea, a right side hitter of the Warrior volleyball team, was named the female recipient of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics' A. O. Duer Scholarship Award. Rea is the first Westmont student-athlete to receive the award.
 
The Westmont Athletics awards committee recommended Rea to the Golden State Athletic Conference. The awards committee for the GSAC, composed of three sports information directors, selected Rea as the conference's nominee for the prestigious award.
 
"The NAIA's decision to select Cassidy Rea as the A.O Duer Scholarship Award winner is an excellent one," said GSAC commissioner Mike Daniels. "To see Cassidy have tremendous success in the classroom and on the court while being able to do it all with great character and citizenship is what the GSAC embodies."
 
Named in honor of the NAIA's former executive secretary who served the association for 26 years, the A. O. Duer Scholarship Award presented by Daktronics has been annually given since 1967 to a male and female junior student-athlete in any sport who has excelled in scholarship, character, and citizenship.
 
Rea, a double-major in history and political science with a GPA of 3.94, has earned the respect of her professors as a thoughtful scholar.
 
"Cassidy is a model student," asserted assistant professor Katherine Bryant. "She always comes to class prepared, and consistently engages in class activities and discussions. Her contributions are insightful, articulate, and thoughtful, and her final research project examining the impact of social media on political ideology was one of the best papers in the class. Cassidy is also incredibly generous with her time and knowledge. Despite her hectic schedule as a student-athlete, she is always happy to help other students who may be struggling with the material."
 
During the spring 2018 semester, Rea participated in a Westmont off-campus program in Cairo, Egypt, giving her an opportunity to experience middle-eastern culture.
 
"Throughout our time in Egypt and the other places we traveled as a group, I witnessed Cassidy's character, as she interacted with those around her," said Dr. Heather Keany, associate professor of history and co-director of the Westmont in Cairo program. "Cassidy got along with each person in the cohort and made relationships with Egyptians as well.
 
"Cassidy was part of a group that went to Garbage Village, an extremely poor area of Cairo, to teach kids English," reported Professor Jim Wright, co-director of the Westmont in Cairo program. "The first day was absolutely overwhelming, as many excited kids bounced around the classrooms. The principal of the school, Nada, had given them their task, to make learning fun. Cassidy and her group came to every session with fresh ideas and a well thought out lesson plan on how to achieve that objective. Cassidy and her partner Sam identified that dance was the children's favorite way to learn commands. It was a meaningful experience, because, as Cassidy described in our debriefing session, sometimes showing up with enthusiasm is all the service one can do. Even though the task she was given seemed overwhelming, her desire to fulfill the task Nada had asked of her motivated her to go back week after week. This shows her willingness to step outside her comfort zone to be a part of community."
 
"Beyond her achievements in the classroom, Cassidy is a valued member of her community," said Bryant. "She devotes time to leading after school volleyball clinics. Additionally, during her semester abroad in Cairo last spring, Cassidy attended a community engagement with local children. In addition to her athletics and academics, Cassidy also works as a tutor, a teaching assistant, and a waitress. Her ability to balance work, school, and athletics continues to impress me.
 
"After college, Cassidy aspires to pursue higher education. She is particularly interested in the intersection between sports and politics. Cassidy's time in Egypt demonstrated to her the power of sports in empowering women. She hopes to pursue this topic further in her post-graduate studies."
 
"Cassidy is a very gifted athlete and is a dominant force at the net as a 6-3 left-handed player," said Westmont Volleyball head coach Patti Cook. "Cassidy began her Westmont career as a freshman starter and for her achievements on the court, earned the prestigious honor of Freshman of the Year for the competitive Golden State Athletic Conference. In her sophomore year, Cassidy was named All Conference, AVCA All-Region and honorable mention All-American. She has maintained one of the highest hitting percentages on the team and in our conference for the last two years.
 
"Cassidy adds a tremendous amount of value to the team not only with her athletic ability but also with her team spirit," said Cook. "She pushes her teammates and makes those around her play harder and better because of her intensity and competitive nature. Cassidy is kind to others and true to herself. She has a high level of honesty, integrity, humility, joy, discipline, respect and responsibility. When a teammate gets a kill or a block, Cassidy is the loudest cheerleader and fires everyone up with her voice.
 
"If anyone on the team has an intellectual question or wants to dive into deep conversation, Cassidy is the one they turn to," noted Cook. "She is a deep thinker and a very caring individual. She is not the type to stand by and let the status quo happen when it comes to world events. I'm excited to see what she does with that passion."
 
Rea will be presented with the award at the NAIA National Convention next April in Palm Beach, Florida.