UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Thirty-three Penn State student-athletes are scheduled to graduate during commencement exercises Saturday, Dec. 15 on the University Park campus.
Student-athletes representing 12 Penn State squads are on the approved to graduate list.
The football team has 14 student-athletes on the approved to graduate list to lead the Penn State programs. Men's fencing, field hockey, football, women's golf, women's hockey, men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse, men's soccer, women's soccer, softball, men's swimming and diving and women's volleyball all have student-athletes who are earning their degrees this weekend.
Among the Nittany Lion students approved to graduate Saturday is women's soccer second-team All-American Emily Ogle. She was selected a CoSIDA Academic All-American this fall for the second consecutive year and owns a 3.99 grade-point average in kinesiology.
Total of 22 football student-athletes have earned 25 degrees before Citrus Bowl
With the 12 new graduates this weekend from the football team, 22 Penn State football student-athletes will have earned a total of 25 degrees prior to the Citrus Bowl vs. Kentucky on Jan. 1 in Orlando, Florida. Ten had earned their degrees (11 degrees) prior to the start of the season.
Amani Oruwariye and DeAndre Thompkins are approved to earn their second degrees this weekend.
With the 33 student-athletes approved to graduate this weekend, 135 Nittany Lion students will have graduated during the 2018 calendar year. A total of 768 Penn State student-athletes have earned their degrees since the 2013 fall semester.
The Nittany Lions have started the 2018-19 academic year in strong fashion, with a Big Ten women's soccer championship and six teams that have been ranked in the Top 10, including the No. 1 ranked wrestling squad. The women's soccer and women's volleyball teams advanced to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals in their respective championships.
Penn State student-athletes, who have captured 27 Big Ten championships and conference-best eight NCAA titles since October 2013, consistently have been among the nation's most successful in earning their degrees.
Record-tying 90 percent NCAA Graduation Rate for Nittany Lion Student-Athletes
Earlier this fall, the NCAA released its annual national graduation rates study, which revealed that Penn State student-athletes posted a Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 90 percent to tie the school record for the second consecutive year. The Division I average was 87 percent for students entering from 2008-09 through the 2011-12 academic year.Penn State student-athletes have delivered an NCAA Graduation Success Rate in the 88-90 percent range during each of the past 12 NCAA reports.
Three Penn State student-athletes earned CoSIDA Academic All-America honors this fall: Ogle, women's soccer teammate Kerry Abello and football student-athlete Blake Gillikin. Abello and Gillikin own perfect 4.0 GPAs. Penn State has had 204 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans all-time, a total that ranks fourth among all NCAA Division I schools.
A total of 94 student-athletes from Penn State's seven fall programs earned Academic All-Big Ten recognition. The Nittany Lions' 94 fall honorees rank third-highest since 1991-92, Penn State's first year of competition in some Big Ten sports. Penn State is second among all Big Ten institutions with 6,329 Academic All-Big Ten honorees since 1991-92. A school record 360 Nittany Lions earned Academic All-Big Ten accolades in 2017-18.