ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. – Hannah Walker has been named the 2025 recipient of the Dr. Neal J. Johnson St. Bonaventure Women's Soccer Scholarship.
 
Walker, a senior and team captain, received the award prior to this past Sunday's home match against George Washington. She played full time and scored a goal in the contest.
 
A physical education major, Walker has recorded a 4.0 GPA and has earned a spot on the Atlantic 10 Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll each year of her Bonaventure career. She also previously earned Academic All-District honors from College Sports Communicators earlier in her career. 

"This award is a result of her leadership and excellence in service, and that's her as a person," said head coach Melissa Sherwood. "She's consistent, she leads by example and she keeps going. She gives everything that she's got and she's a great role model to the team."
 
The Sayre, Pa. native is the longest-tenured player on this year's roster. She has started in all 13 contests so far this season, ranking second on the team in minutes played. One of the program's top defenders, she scored her first career goal earlier this season on the road at Davidson, adding to that tally with last Sunday's efforts.
 
As the president of the Physical Activity Club on campus, Walker encourages her peers to participate in sponsored programs such the Special Olympics of Western NY. Throughout her time with the club, she has volunteered to serve her time as a trainer for the St. Bonaventure Unified Soccer Clinic and Special Olympics Unified Basketball Program.
 
Walker is also a member of the Student-Athlete Wellness Club, which involves working closely with St. Bonaventure's sport nutritionist and sport counselors to provide holistic programs of wellness for all student-athletes.

"It means a lot to receive this scholarship. I could not have done it without the amazing people I have had the pleasure to meet and work with at St. Bonaventure University," Walker said. "It has been an honor to play for four years and have great teammates every year. I would especially like to thank Dr. Paula Scraba for providing so many opportunities for me to get involved in the community and help the next generation of athletes."
 
The namesake of the scholarship, the late Dr. Neal Johnson, graduated from St. Bonaventure in 1973. He received an honorary doctorate in 2014 for his more than 40 years of service to the Special Olympics. 
 
The scholarship is awarded to a senior class member of the women's soccer program who has demonstrated over their years of participation, dedication to their teammates, the team, the program and the university. Additionally, through their example and accomplishments, throughout the university community, the recipient has demonstrated their commitment to the ideals of the university and the Franciscan tradition. Academically, the recipient will have achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Ideally, the recipient should be pursuing a degree in Physical Education, Sports Studies or Health Sciences. 
 
"The idea behind this scholarship was to motivate or interest underclassmen from the moment they step on campus to become involved and meet the different criteria listed. This scholarship serves as an incentive for student-athletes to get involved," Johnson said before his passing in December 2022. "It is imperative that the student-athlete selected gets the recognition they deserve, but that this doesn't happen until the completion of their senior season. This ensures that teammates stay motivated whether they have one, two, or three years left, to continue to stay involved every season to potentially earn recognition when their collegiate career is complete. When developing this, I almost wanted it to model the Ideal Bonaventure Woman Award, but have this scholarship recognize the 'Ideal Bonaventure Women's Soccer Player.'"
 
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