GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Two of Gettysburg College's most successful athletic programs are also home to two of the brightest students on campus in sophomore Brittany Jones (Canton, N.Y./Hugh C. Williams) and senior Nicole Ditillo (Baldwin, Md./Fallston), both of whom were recently recognized for their academic endeavors.

Jones, a reserve guard on the women's basketball team, was recently awarded the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship, while Ditillo, a starting defender on the women's lacrosse team, was selected as the first recipient of The Janet Morgan Riggs '77 Endowed Scholarship.

Jones' award is directly related to her work in environmental studies where she is concentrating in Earth system science and marine ecology. The NOAA recognizes a select group of undergraduates from across the nation who have attained at least a 3.0 GPA (based on a 4.0 scale) and are majoring in a discipline area related to oceanic and atmospheric science, research, technology, or education, and are supportive of the purposes of NOAA's programs and mission.

“Receiving this award means a lot to me and I am excited to have this opportunity,” said Jones. “It feels rewarding to know that working hard in my courses pays off, but I also know that I would never have come this far without the help of my professors.”

The Hollings Scholarship Program will lead to a bevy of opportunities for Jones over the next two years, including academic assistance (up to a maximum of $8,000 per year) and a guaranteed 10-week, full-time internship during the summer between her junior and senior years at a NOAA facility.

As a reserve guard on the basketball team, Jones appeared in 13 contests and averaged 1.1 points per game. She helped the Bullets win a school-record 24 games and advance to the NCAA Division III Tournament “Sweet 16.”

Ditillo is the first student to earn The Janet Morgan Riggs' 77 Scholarship, which was established by the Board of Trustees to honor Janet Morgan Riggs '77 on the occasion of her inauguration as the 14th president of Gettysburg College.

“I'm honored to be the first recipient of the Janet Morgan Riggs' '77 Scholarship,” said Ditillo. “I am so grateful to the generosity of the Gettysburg alumni and trustees who have set up so many of these endowed scholarships to give back to the Gettysburg College students, and I am honored that those individuals responsible for choosing who received this scholarship thought enough of my academic work to award me this scholarship.”

Ditillo easily fit the fund's criteria as “a worthy and promising student who majors in psychology,” sporting the highest GPA among female varsity senior student-athletes competing in the spring as an English and psychology double-major. Last spring, she was named the lacrosse program's fist Academic All-American and she is a candidate for a prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship this spring.

Ditillo was a first-team all-region and first-team All-Centennial Conference selection and led Gettysburg to the national semifinals last season. A team co-captain and defensive starter, she has the Bullets poised for a similar season in 2010 as the team is once again ranked among the nation's top teams.

On Friday, April 23, Ditillo will give a few remarks on receiving the award at a luncheon hosted by President Riggs for the donors of endowed funds and their recipients.

Both student-athletes pointed to the benefits of receiving their respective awards, with Ditillo stating “It gives me more confidence in my work in psychology, and encourages me to pursue future schooling and work in the field.”

Jones shared similar sentiments. “The scholarship will help me along this path by providing me with a unique research experience, allowing me to challenge myself, and expanding my knowledge outside of the classroom.”

Outside of being the quintessential student-athletes at Gettysburg, Jones and Ditillo share a similar need to go outside the normal requirements for their academic and ultimately career goals. Jones has a busy summer ahead with a four-week study abroad trip to Florence, Italy, a two-week field course in Maine through the ES department, and a two-week trip to Iceland with her adviser where she will be doing field work concerning glacial geology and Holocene climate.

In August, Ditillo is also headed overseas to England where she will teach lacrosse to grade school students through the English Lacrosse Association. After completing her time in England, she intends to head back to school to pursue a master's degree and teacher certification to become a high school English teacher.

Jones still has two more years of study at Gettysburg, but she has sights set on the future, including attending grad school to pursue her doctorate and from there moving on to a career in scientific research.