With two degrees already completed, former St. Cloud State forward Aidan Spellacy has been selected the recipient of the 2023 NCHC postgraduate scholarship as he embarks on a third.
Spellacy, who plans to attend law school next, is the first Husky to win the scholarship in its eight-year existence.
Spellacy completed his MBA from St. Cloud State this past May. He earned his MBA in management and leadership, finishing with a 3.93 GPA. Prior to attending and playing hockey for St. Cloud State, Spellacy started his college career at Robert Morris, where he received his undergraduate degree in August of 2021. Spellacy finished his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at RMU with a 3.88 GPA while majoring in marketing.
“The NCHC is proud to present Aidan with this year’s postgraduate scholarship. Having already completed two degrees with plans for a Juris Doctorate is quite impressive,” said NCHC commissioner Heather Weems in a statement. “Aidan’s commitment to education and his interest in being a voice for social justice shows he’s a more-than-deserving recipient. Knowing Aidan from my time at St. Cloud State, I am confident he will be a great asset to the legal profession.”
Spellacy has already been accepted to Cleveland State University’s College of Law, where he will begin working toward his Juris Doctorate in the fall of 2023 or fall of 2024.
“I am committed to attending graduate school, specifically law school, because I believe this is the necessary path to set myself up to achieve my goals. I am passionate about social justice and believe that the legal profession is one of the most powerful options to affect real change in our society,” Spellacy wrote in his scholarship nomination. “Through law school, I will have the opportunity to learn from veteran legal professionals who come from all different walks of life. Law school is also a time for me to find my legal niche and explore which type of law I am most passionate about, whether it be in public offices, criminal justice reform, or environmental law. A law degree will give me the credibility and confidence to bring about real change.”
Spellacy was named an NCHC distinguished scholar-athlete this season with a GPA north of 3.5. On the ice in 2022-23, he served as an alternate captain for the Huskies, scoring four goals and tallying 12 points in 35 games, while helping lead SCSU to the Frozen Faceoff title. In his first season with the Huskies in 2021-22, Spellacy dished out an assist in 19 games, with SCSU making the NCAA tournament in both of his seasons.
In three seasons at Robert Morris, he tallied 33 points in 91 games, also serving as an alternate captain as a junior.
Off the ice, Spellacy volunteered with the Frost Bites Special Olympics floor hockey team in St. Cloud, helping coach practices on a weekly basis throughout the 2022-23 season. In the summer of 2022, he served as a marketing intern for ReadySet Surgical in Cleveland, Ohio, while in the summer of 2021, he worked as a financial representative for Northwestern Mutual in Ann Arbor, Mich.
“It’s an honor to receive the NCHC postgraduate scholarship. The NCHC is not only a top-tier conference on the ice, but off it as well,” Spellacy said. “They give their student-athletes the opportunity to succeed on the ice, but also in their post-hockey careers.”
The NCHC’s postgraduate scholarship is funded by a grant from the El Pomar Foundation in Colorado Springs, which has also supported the NCHC by providing its office headquarters on the grounds of the Penrose House and helping cover the cost of the Penrose Cup. Spellacy’s scholarship award amount will be $7,500.
“The NCHC membership is thankful for the continued support of the El Pomar Foundation and its Board of Directors.” Weems said. “Along with our successes on the ice, it is equally as important to celebrate our student-athletes’ successes in the classroom. We are happy to share in this honor with El Pomar.”
To be eligible for the NCHC’s postgraduate scholarship, the student-athlete must be a senior or grad student on the official NCAA hockey roster with at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA, who plans to continue his academic studies beyond his undergraduate degree. The recipient must enroll in a postgraduate degree program within three years of receiving the scholarship to collect the financial aid. The winner is chosen by a vote of the NCHC’s faculty athletics representatives from among the nominees submitted by each school’s FAR.
PREVIOUS NCHC POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
2016 – Gabe Levin, Denver
2017 – Aaron Hadley, WMU and Kirk Thompson, Omaha
2018 – Joel Messner, Omaha
2019 – Ryan Galt, Omaha
2020 – Erich Fear, Denver
2021 – Kale Bennett, Western Michigan
2022 – Jason Smallidge, Omaha
