ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. – Juliana Castellano has been named the 2026 recipient of the Dr. Neal J. Johnson St. Bonaventure Women's Soccer Scholarship.
 
Castellano, a senior and four-year Bonnie, received the award prior to this past Sunday's home match against Davidson. The goalkeeper earned her eighth start of the season and played full-time in the match, recording seven saves.
 
A finance major, Castellano has compiled a 3.44 GPA and has earned a spot on the Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Honor Roll each year of her Bonaventure career.
 
"Juliana embodies what it means to be a Bonnie," said head coach Ray Leone. "Her leadership, commitment and impact have left a lasting mark on this program."
 
The Staten Island, N.Y. native is the longest-tenured player on this year's roster, having appeared in 19 contests throughout her career, compiling 110 total saves in that time.
 
An active member in community service, Castellano has routinely volunteered her time to serve as a youth trainer for the St. Bonaventure Unified Soccer clinic and the Special Olympics Unified Basketball program. She has also worked as the women's soccer program's coordinator with Operation Warm Hearts, a local non-profit which provides families and children in need with clothes, jackets, hats, boots and other cold-weather gear. With the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, she also assists weekly with the Bob Lanier Literacy Program, meeting with local youth to encourage reading and literacy skills in the community.
 
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.
 
"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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