Miles student-athletes Tederia Ashley and Jerris Baker were among the 46 student-athletes who will each receive the NCAA Division II 50th Anniversary Scholarship. The recipients were recognized during the opening ceremonies at the Division II Festival on Monday in Orlando, Fla.

Ashley and Baker were among 196 nominations for the commemorative scholarship. Conference offices reviewed their member schools' nominations and selected up to four finalists for review by the Division II Management Council Identity Subcommittee. The subcommittee reviewed all finalist submissions and determined the recipients, awarding one male student-athlete and one female student-athlete from each of the 23 Division II conferences.

Alexis Anderson, Senior Associate Athletic Director for Compliance at Miles, nominated Ashley and Baker for the scholarships. She said she takes every opportunity to showcase the student-athletes to the world and that this was an incredible opportunity to do just that.

"Seeing that email that both of our student-athletes were selected made my entire day! To know your two student-athletes that you hand-picked were selected out of 196 nominations is an incredible feeling," Anderson said. "You don't realize how important it is to not only know your student-athletes by name and face, but who they are as scholars and what they do on campus outside of athletics and in our community."

Recipients have exemplified the division's Life in the Balance philosophy through high-level athletics competition, academic achievement, campus involvement and community engagement.

"Congratulations to these deserving student-athletes who exhibit the core values of Division II," said Terri Steeb Gronau, vice president of Division II. "It was important while celebrating the history of Division II that we also recognize and celebrate our student-athlete leaders in a meaningful way."

Ashley, a junior from Huntsville, Ala., and Baker, a sophomore from Detroit, both helped their teams to Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships and NCAA Division II postseason play in women's basketball and men's golf, respectively.

After an academic year that saw Ashley win the SIAC's Elite 14 Award for success in the classroom and on the court, she said that she was completely surprised by the selection.

"I just try to do the right thing all the time. I know that if I do, there can be rewards. Something like this," said Ashley, who was also named to the SIAC All-Tournament team in March. "It's nice to see your hard work in the classroom and on the court pay off."

Baker is currently in Massachusetts serving as an intern with Titleist after finishing his season at the NCAA South/Southeast Regional two weeks ago. He said the notification of the scholarship award took him by surprise. But he also said that his mother had always told him to make himself useful and this honor validates that.

"Whether it's the work I do in school, with the golf team, doing community service or just by myself, it's all about being authentic. You can't go looking for praise doing what you're supposed to do," Baker said.