The Zotheka Scholarship Award
The Zotheka Scholarship Award, developed in 2023, is awarded to an ASA Boy’s Academy Player currently on scholarship, who has demonstrated the resilience, determination and commitment necessary to succeed in college, but does not have access to financial resources to accept opportunities to compete at the collegiate level. However, it is not a requirement that the recipient play at the collegiate level. The Scholarship will be awarded each Spring to a high-school senior at the Boy’s Academy level who has been accepted as a student at a 2 or 4 year college as a player or student. The award amount will be variable to the financial needs and family circumstances of the award winner, up to full tuition coverage. The award winner must maintain a 2.0 minimum GPA to keep the award active until graduation. While the award includes collegiate financial compensation, a huge part of the award is the Mentorship Component. Each scholarship winner is paired with an individual that will serve as a mentor throughout his collegiate years and hopefully beyond. This individual will be available to aid in both personal and educational challenges, as well as serve as a facilitator of connections in years beyond college.
2025 Scholarship Status
Applications are now live for the 2025 Zotheka Scholarship Award. The awardee will be notified on April 14 of their selection. We will host the 2025 Award Ceremony during halftime at the Alexandria Reds match on June 8. The game will be played at Limerick Field, located at 1800 Limerick Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. We encourage you to come and celebrate our awardee with us!
2024 Scholarships
At halftime of the Alexandria Reds match on June 16, 2024, ASA honored the 2024 Zotheka Scholarship Award recipients, Elvert Nunez and Noel Mesfin. Elvert Nunez, the primary recipient, impressed the selection committee with his leadership and work ethic. He will attend James Madison University. Runner-up Noel Mesfin, praised for his drive and humility, is headed to Virginia Commonwealth University. Both were recognized in a ceremony by ASA staff and members of the scholarship selection committee. To read more about last year’s recipients, click the article below.
2023 Scholarship
2023 Zotheka Scholarship recipient, Jarbin Rodriguez, spent a year at Northern Virginia Community College, achieving good grades, while also coaching at ASA. The foundation is proud to announce that he will be attending Shenandoah University to play soccer this fall where they will continue to support his journey. Autumn VandeHei, Jarbin’s mentor, has been “inspired by his willingness to learn and grow as a young man, as a scholar, as a player, and as an example to those coming up behind him.”
Spring 2025 Recipient Updates
Checking in with Noel:
“I’ve been really enjoying my time in the VCU Cybersecurity program, where I’m building a strong foundation in security principles and learning hands-on skills that will help me in my career. Outside of academics, I’ve been actively involved in clubs like Developing Men of Color (DMC), which has been incredibly helpful in my internship search by providing mentorship and networking opportunities. I’m also part of VCU club soccer, which has helped me build great friendships and connections on campus.
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Last semester went really well—I feel like I’m growing both academically and personally, taking full advantage of the opportunities at VCU to further my education and career. The support from Zotheka has been instrumental in allowing me to focus on my studies, develop professionally, and make the most of my college experience, and for that, I am truly grateful. Looking ahead, I’m excited to secure a internship In tech where I can apply my skills to real-world challenges.”
Checking in with Elvert:
“The transition to college has been one of the hardest things that I’ve gone through in my life, but with the help of the people I have met here at JMU I have found it to be easy to get adjusted to adulthood and time has passed by in a blink of an eye. Although challenging at first, I learned that taking college day by day and being grateful for being in the position I am in would be very beneficial to my progress in maturing as a person. I found my people early on by joining the JMU Men’s Club team where I matured even more as a soccer player, playing with older guys. I challenged myself as a soccer player where I eventually gained my love and confidence for soccer again and even earned myself a consistent starting spot for the team. By taking on this challenge with the JMU club team I have found myself opening more opportunities for myself and have been given the chance to join a local Harrisonburg UPSL team: Blue Ridge FC.
As I continue to work hard in the classroom and on the field, I am excited to balance my life for the rest of the school year and take on the challenges of my day-to-day journey of becoming a better person, student, and soccer player.
I look forward to taking on the challenges this spring brings and hopefully taking on new opportunities in the near future. For now, I continue to be grateful for the opportunities I have been given by Zotheka and JMU and work to become a better person each day.”
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Checking in with Jarbin:
“Everything is going well, and I’ve really enjoyed settling into my new environment at Shenandoah University. I’ve adjusted well to college life and have been embracing both the academic and athletic aspects of this new journey.
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I am eager to challenge myself even more, seek out new opportunities, and continue to grow both personally and professionally. I look forward to seeing what the future holds and am grateful for the guidance that Mrs. Vandehei has provided to help me get to where I am today.”