Milwaukee's Volk and Oakland's Cleary Selected for Horizon League Post-Graduate Scholarships

May 15

Rachel White

INDIANAPOLIS (May 15, 2024) – Milwaukee track and field student-athlete Kortnie Volk and Oakland baseball student-athlete Ian Cleary have been named the recipients of this year’s Horizon League Post-Graduate Scholarship Award, as selected by the League’s Faculty Athletic Representatives.

Major Voices:
Horizon League Commissioner Julie Roe Lach

“We are honored to recognize Kortnie and Ian as our Horizon League Post-Graduate Scholarship Award winners. These extraordinary students have made a Major Impact in their campus communities and exemplify our commitment to maximize educational opportunity through sports. We are proud of their achievements and wish them the best Beyond the Horizon as Kortnie pursues her Chiropractic degree and Ian continues his education at medical school.”

Scholarship Recipient Kortnie Volk

“It is an honor to be chosen for this scholarship among the many other talented and well-deserving student-athletes in the Horizon League. I am eternally grateful for the countless opportunities UW-Milwaukee has provided me during my four years. I would not be where I am today without all the coaches, athletic staff, professors, teammates, and family members who have supported me during my career. My time as a student-athlete has instilled qualities within me that have set me up for success as I take these next steps in furthering my education. Finally, I would like to thank the Horizon League for this recognition and supporting me in my post-graduate endeavors.”

Scholarship Recipient Ian Cleary

“Winning this award is a recognition of my body of work at Oakland University over the last 5 years. It is always a pleasure to be recognized for the work I have done on and off the field in my college career and to continue to build and share my story. I am so happy the Horizon League built this scholarship to support the ambitions and passions of its student-athletes beyond their playing career, and it is a great honor to receive this award.”

Dig Deeper:

Volk majored in Kinesiology at Milwaukee and plans to pursue her Doctor of Chiropractic degree at Northwestern Health Sciences University, starting this fall.
Cleary earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Biomedical Sciences and a Graduate Certificate in Exercise Science from Oakland and will begin studying at the University of Michigan Medical School this summer.
Volk helped the Panthers earn two Horizon League championships in track and field this academic year, participating in several events and placing second in the heptathlon and fourth in the pentathlon.
Cleary has been a key contributor for Oakland baseball, playing in more than 40 games this season and helping the Golden Grizzlies to a 16-11 League record.
Volk’s community impact includes working with several organizations, including Make a Difference Day, Friedens Food Pantry and Milwaukee Recreation.
On campus, Volk served on the Milwaukee track and field team’s leadership council and has been an active member of the Green Bandana Project, promoting students’ mental health and the resources available on campus.
Cleary has taken on many leadership roles on campus including being a 3-year member of the leadership council for the baseball team, a 3-year member of Oakland University SAAC, a 2-year member of HL SAAC, a 2-year member of the Senate for Intercollegiate Athletics Committee and a 1-year student-athlete representative in head coaches’ meetings.
Cleary also has extensive volunteer experience with Oakland University Autism Outreach Services (OUCARES), which provides an avenue for social interaction and growth for children and young adults with autism spectrum disorders.
To be eligible for the scholarship, student-athletes must meet criteria in four distinct categories — academics, athletics, service and leadership. The recipient must have an overall minimum GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale or its equivalent, have competed with distinction as a member of a varsity sport, exhibited quality time working in the community/university in providing service to others, and demonstrated leadership qualities as a student at their institution and as a member of their intercollegiate program.
Since 2014, the Horizon League has annually provided a post-graduate scholarship to a male and female student-athlete who exhibit excellence in the areas of academics, leadership, service, and athletics. Each of this year’s recipients will receive $5,000 to be used for graduate school expenses.
View our full list of all-time post-graduate scholarship recipients here.