Every year, the Ritchie Scholarship is awarded to one or two hockey players who have really stood out and made an impact on the ice and off the ice. Earning the Ritchie Scholarship is a big accomplishment for those who earn it. Ava Provenzo and Dereck Namlick are the recipients of the award this year. They got to spend a good amount of time down in the warm climate of Tampa, Florida. While in Florida, Ava and Dereck had the opportunity to experience the annual golf tournament, skate with young athletes, and just simply have fun experiencing this great opportunity.
Both Ava and Dereck both reflected on their time in Florida. They were both able to enjoy a fun round of golf at the annual Ritchie Golf Tournament with a former Ritchie recipient and now professional emergency backup goalie, Kyle Konin. Dereck and Ava both had the opportunity to skate at Ritchie clinics presented by the Ritchie Foundation.
Ava and Dereck are students who will both exemplify what it means to be a recipient of the Ritchie Scholarship. Ava states, “I will represent the honor of receiving this scholarship in the way that Jason Ritchie would want me to. This begins with simply bringing energy to daily life and to my surrounding communities. I think a lot of the time people take life and the opportunities we are given for granted, and I will continue to cherish every moment and instill positivity and gratitude in those around me.” Ava hopes to continue to be a leader to those around her, and keep setting good examples.
Dereck hopes to bring more attention to the foundation to help grow and expand knowledge to younger athletes about the Ritchie Scholarship. Dereck was asked how earning the scholarship changed his motivation. He stated, “Earning the scholarship helped motivate me to continue down the path I’ve been heading. It also allowed me to reaffirm my goals which drove me to work even harder to pursue the path I wish to carve out for myself. Receiving The Ritchie Scholarship has also motivated me to strive to be a representative of the foundation and help spread their work.” Dereck is very excited to be permanently part of this organization and to continue working with great people such as the Ritchie family.
Fortunately, both Ava and Dereck’s parents were able to attend. Dereck’s father was able to be there and experience the fun events in Florida, as well as Ava’s mother. To say the least, Ava and Dereck had a fabulous time down in Florida, besides being able to enjoy the warmer weather. Both recipients are over the moon excited to be a part of the Ritchie Foundation and continue to represent what being a Ritchie Scholarship recipient resembles. Congratulations to Ava Provenzo ’24 and Dereck Namlick ’24 for their well-earned scholarship!
Written by Abby Stone ’24
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