Ashley Harlock and Joshua Smith Receive Big Ten Postgraduate Scholarships

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State field hockey student-athlete Ashley Harlock and cross country/track and field student-athlete Joshua Smith have been awarded Michigan State’s 2024 Big Ten Postgraduate Scholarships. Each year, the conference office provides two student-athletes from each of the 14 Big Ten institutions a $7,500 scholarship, based primarily on academic achievements. The award is given to athletes who plan to continue their education in a graduate degree program. 

Each Big Ten institution developed its own on-campus selection process when awarding the scholarships. Student-athletes must have maintained at least a 3.2 grade-point average (GPA), demonstrated leadership qualities, served as an excellent role model and intended to continue their academic work beyond their baccalaureate degree at a graduate degree program. 

Harlock, the recipient of this year’s Dr. James Feurig Achievement and Service Award, ended her MSU career as a three-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and Academic All-Big Ten honoree. She graduated from MSU’s Honors College in May and earned a spot on the Dean’s List every semester at MSU. In addition, she was nominated by MSU for the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship and named a national finalist for the Marshall Scholarship. At the Student-Athlete Support Services Academic Gala, she was honored with both the President’s Award (as the highest GPA of MSU’s graduating student-athletes) and also the recipient of the prestigious Gwendolyn Norrell Community Service and Leadership Award. She was the female recipient of the 2024 Big Ten Wayne Duke Postgraduate Scholarship. 

Harlock served as a team captain during her senior season and was named MSU’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award winner in 2023. For her career, she played in 65 games, making 44 starts in the Spartan midfield and registered three goals and seven assists. 

The Livonia, Michigan, native graduated with a perfect 4.0 GPA as a double major in neuroscience and human biology. She is pursuing a Neuroscience PhD program at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. 

Smith, who hails from Alpena, Michigan, is an eight-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and four-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar. He earned a spot on the Dean’s List every semester at MSU…