Softball's Vasquez excels in athletics, academics and beyond

TEMPE, Ariz. - In her now three years at ASU after transferring from Kansas softball's Jackie Vasquez has compiled a 3.51 GPA while majoring in Special Education. A student in the College of Education, Jackie has found a way to balance both her love for softball and her academics, with immense success in both. This month she has been named CSAC Student-Athlete of the month, the second consecutive Student-Athlete of the Month Award given to the softball team.

The award isn't the first for Vasquez as she was the recipient of the Rosalyn Lyon Scholarship in Education, a fund established by Rusty and Rosie Lyon to help support College of Education students from Arizona. In addition, Jackie also received the Roma Gentry Memorial Scholarship, a fund set up in memoriam of Roma Gentry, a 1937 College of Education graduate. The award attempts to encourage, promote and benefit the education of women and U.S. citizens at Arizona State University.

The past few years, Vasquez, along with her teammates, have volunteered for the Special Olympics. They help out at the Opening Ceremonies and also put on a softball clinic for the athletes. Vasquez also volunteered with the 2006 Fantasy Flight and goes above and beyond serving her community on a continual basis.

            With her success on and off the field, Jackie has proven that she is a great role model for her teammates, coaches and students, both as peers and the ones in her own classroom as a student teacher. A personal sports highlight for Vasquez was hitting a grand slam in the 2007 Tempe Super Regionals against LSU, which helped send her team to their second consecutive World Series.

            The Sun Devil Softball team welcomes all to come cheer Jackie and her fellow teammates on in this upcoming 2008 season as they gear up for their run to their third consecutive Women's College World Series and beyond.