RIT's National Technical Institute for the Deaf has announced the Michael E. Lawson Endowed Scholarship, which will be implemented for the 2016-17 academic year. Lawson was a former RIT men's soccer standout and assistant coach who was inducted into the RIT Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012.
The Lawson scholarship will support deaf and hard-of-hearing students in the College of Liberal Arts and in NTID's Master of Science in Secondary Education program. At minimum, two awards will be made annually, one to a student in each the College of Liberal Arts and the MSSE program. The Lawson family generously gifted the funds to establish the scholarship.
New scholarship benefits deaf, hard-of-hearing students at RIT/NTID.
"I am extremely proud to be part of establishing this scholarship for deserving young deaf and hard-of-hearing men and women," said Lawson, who is a teacher of deaf and hard-of-hearing students at Neptune Middle School in Neptune, NJ. "I hope that the scholarship will provide an opportunity for them to have the same kinds of positive experiences that I had as a student at RIT/NTID."
Named the RIT Senior Male Athlete of the Year in 2006, Lawson enjoyed an excellent career with the Tigers, starting all 71 games 2002-05, posting 40 points from his midfield position on 13 goals and 14 assists. Eleven of his 13 career goals were game-winners, fourth all-time at the university.
Lawson was a four-time All-Empire 8 selection, earning Player of the Year honors in 2004 and 2005. He was also league Rookie of the Year in 2002. Lawson helped guide the Tigers to the 2004 Empire 8 Championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. He was also a 2004 National Soccer Coaches Association of America Adidas First Team All-Region selection.
"The importance of scholarship support for deserving deaf and hard-of-hearing students at RIT/NTID cannot be overstated," said Gerard Buckley, NTID president and RIT vice president and dean. "We are so grateful to the Lawson family for their generous gift in honor of their son, Michael, who continues to serve as a role model to our deaf and hard-of-hearing student-athletes."
A three-year team captain, Lawson was a two-time NSCAA Scholar All-American in 2004 and 2005. As an undergraduate, Lawson, an NTID student, maintained a 3.64 grade point average as a social work major. In his graduate studies, he had a 3.90 GPA in deaf education.
Lawson served as an assistant coach for the RIT men's soccer program under head coach Bill Garno 2006-08.
Please contact Bryan Hensel, NTID Development at Bryan.Hensel@rit.edu for information on how you can make a gift to the fund.
Source: https://www.ntid.rit.edu/news
