JERSEY CITY, NJ – Saint Peter's men's basketball alum,
Quinn Taylor '20, has been named a recipient of the annual Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Victory Scholarship, in partnership with the Sport Changes Life Foundation. Taylor, along with three other MAAC student-athletes, will continue his education in Northern Ireland while also continuing his basketball playing career.
"It's honestly a blessing to be in this situation; I get to play professional basketball in the top league in Ireland, get my masters and help the community around me which will be a great experience and an honor," said Taylor. "Not many people get the opportunity to play at the professional level and the opportunity to get a master's, so I am going to make the most of it. If it wasn't for Saint Peter's then I do not think I would have this opportunity."
"The Sport Changes Life Victory Scholarship provides an incredible educational experience for student-athletes while affording them with a unique opportunity to positively impact the lives of young people," said Saint Peter's Director of Athletics,
Rachelle Paul. "Quinn has earned this honor through his hard work and dedication on the court and in the classroom. He has been a model citizen and student-athlete who will continue to be an excellent representative of our program."
An "Ironman" for the Peacocks during his four years in Jersey City, Taylor never missed a single game, making an appearance in all 130 games from 2016 to 2020. He scored 778 career points and pulled in 587 career rebounds. Following his sophomore campaign in 2017-18, Taylor was named Saint Peter's Sophomore Male Student-Athlete of the Year. The Amarillo, Texas native graduated in May with a degree in Criminal Justice while holding a grade point average above a 3.6. He was selected to the MAAC Academic Honor Roll four times and made a trio of appearances on the MAAC All-Academic Team. Taylor closed out his career by being named to the 2020 MAAC All-Tournament Team in March.
Taylor will be attending Cork IT where he will study International Business. Joining him at Cork IT will be Monmouth University's Alexa Middleton. Canisius College's D'Jhai Patterson-Ricks (IT Carlow) and Quinnipiac University's Taylor Herd (Limerick IT) will be the other representatives from the MAAC.
"The MAAC is proud to continue its partnership with Sport Changes Life and would like to congratulate D'Jhai, Alexa, Taylor and Quinn," said MAAC Commissioner Rich Ensor. "The Victory Scholars Program selected four very deserving student-athletes, and the MAAC wishes them nothing but the best as they complete their graduate studies and teach young people the value of sports and academics."
Taylor became the third Saint Peter's alum to earn a Victory Scholarship, following former men's golfer Dominic Diaz '17 and former women's basketball player Alyssa Velles '18. Diaz was a recipient of the Victory Scholarship for 2017-18, participating in the Golf Victory Scholar program while attending Ulster University, and Velles earned the honor in 2018-19, attending Waterford IT while playing basketball professionally.
SCLF Founder and CEO Gareth Maguire, via the SCLF Twitter account, added "Amidst the uncertainty of COVID-19, we feel young people need direction and leadership now more than ever, and we are immensely proud to welcome such a unique group to our SCL family."
A total of 17 student-athletes, six male and 11 female, from 16 different institutions, were chosen as recipients. These student-athletes will get the opportunity to work toward a postgraduate degree, while acting as role models and mentors through youth community outreach programs in Ireland. The 2021 class is the 13
th in the history of the SCLF, who has awarded scholarships to over 140 American student-athletes.
More information on this year's awards recipients can be found by viewing SCLF's
announcement video on Facebook.
About Sport Changes Life Foundation: The primary goal of SCL is to provide an opportunity for raising the aspiration of young people on both sides of the Atlantic so that they can live out their dreams and guide them as sport changes their lives. We are a sports foundation built on inspiration, hope and victory. SCL works in disadvantaged communities to help young people find a path to a brighter future with the help of our international student athletes, the Victory Scholars. In February 2016, SCL formally partnered with The Rory Foundation as both foundations strive together to help change the lives of young people on the island of Ireland and beyond.
For more information on Sport Changes Life, please see
sportchangeslife.com
