For the sixteenth consecutive year, New York University's Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Committee has selected two student-athletes for the MLK Athletic Department Award. The 2021-22 recipients are junior women's basketball captain Jenny Walker and senior men's volleyball captain Race Agcaoili.
The award was established in order to recognize student-athletes who embody and exemplify the characteristics promoted by Dr. King's "vision of peace, persistence in purpose, and inspirational action," as well as sportsmanship either within or outside the NYU community.
"Jenny and Race being recognized as this year's MLK scholars speaks to their commitment in the classroom, on the court, but more importantly as people," said Stuart Robinson, Director of Athletics and Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs. "In everything that they do, they seek to make a difference not just for themselves but for those around them. This commitment to others beyond self so powerfully embodies the memory of the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. So, on behalf of our department, we are extremely excited and pleased that we have this opportunity to recognize them for their service."
Walker, a Media Culture and Communications major with a minor in Business of Entertainment Media Technology in the Steinhardt School of Education, co-founded the NYU LGBTQ+ student-athlete union during the 2020-21 academic year. The forum provides a safe space for individuals to talk about their experiences while also increasing a sense of belonging. On the conference level, the Sausalito, Calif. native served as a member of the University Athletic Association's (UAA) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council.
"I am honored to be selected as one of the 2021-22 MLK Award recipients. I want to thank every person on the committee for even considering me for this award. I feel very thankful to have the opportunity to give back to NYU Athletics as I have grown so much as a player, teammate, and person in these past two and half years," Walker shared.
For the last two years, Walker interned at Voice in Sport, a company focused on empowering women and young girls in sports. In addition to working on Pride Month activities, International Women in Sports Day, and gathering data concerning student-athletes' mental health, she brought attention to Title IX violations exposing the discrepancies between the services provided to male athletic teams compared to female teams in the 2021 NCAA March Madness basketball tournament.
She maintained her commitment to civic engagement through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, adjusting her volunteerism to a virtual capacity as needed. This past year, Walker participated in several community service activities including reading books to kids from Public School 11 via Zoom. Walker then devoted her time as a clinic counselor for Grow Your Game, a Harlem-based organization that coaches young girls on basketball and life skills. Her contributions are seen as an athlete and as a mentor, as she schedules sessions with kids aged 7-15 years old from the Harlem Children's Zone.
Walker is the fifth women's basketball player to earn the award since its inception in 2007 and makes it three-in-a-row for the program on the heels of Janean Cuffee's back-to-back selections. "During my freshman and sophomore year, I had the privilege of watching my teammate Janean Cuffee do incredible work for NYU. To know I am in the same category as her, and several other incredible student-athletes at this university makes this award even more valuable to me." On the court, the quad-captain's 13.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game has helped the No. 7 Violets to a 17-1 overall record and to a league-leading 8-1 start in conference play.
Agcaoili, the fourth-ever men's volleyball player to be named an MLK honoree, is a senior in the College of Arts and Science studying public policy. The Punahou School graduate was heavily involved in his high school alma mater's efforts to provide resources to promising students by way of Partnerships in Unlimited Educational Opportunities (PUEO). The program collects nominations from teachers who select sixth graders to be enrolled in the six-year program to be provided with the tools needed to get into college. As students advance through their time with PUEO, they are given cohorts and mentors to help guide them along the way.
"It's definitely a big honor, especially considering all of the values that Martin Luther King Jr. stood for," Agcaoili stated when asked about what it meant to him for the department to recognize his off-court involvement. "For me to receive this recognition just means a lot - not only for the work that we put in as athletes but as students off the court."
Last year, he aided his team's effort to get all members of the squad registered to vote. Agcaoili then proceeded to partake in the United Volleyball Conference's (UVC) Racial Equity Council discussions which allowed him to connect with other student-athletes in the league on a more interpersonal level.
"[We're] developing a culture within NYU Athletics that fosters a lot of the values that MLK stood for. So, it definitely means a lot to me."
The No. 10 Violets opened their season with an impressive win over then-No. 1 Carthage College and were selected tied for second in the UVC preseason coaches' poll. Through five games, Agcaoili has paced NYU's defense with a team-leading 30 digs for a 1.76 digs/set average.
Inspired by his "The Future of Integration" speech delivered on February 10, 1961, the University commemorates Dr. King's visit and his legacy by hosting a week-long schedule of special events and programs from Feb. 7-12.
