Jan. 30, 2008
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Senior Arica Jacinto was honored by the Mizzou Alumni Association as a recipient of the prestigious Mizzou '39 award, given to 39 campus seniors who have displayed outstanding service, academic achievement and leadership. The Phoenix, Arizona, native is one of two student-athletes receiving this year's award, joining Julie Abaray from the Tiger gymnastics squad as an honoree. Only two other student-athletes have been garnered the award, including Brian Unger (men's golf) and Meggie Malm (women's soccer) in 2007.
"Watching Arica development into who she is today has been a fun experience," said Mizzou Head Swim Coach Brian Hoffer. "She has become a true leader on our team and on this campus. She has done everything we have asked of her and is a great steward of our university. She definitely deserves this award."
The Mizzou '39 Award, now in its fourth year, is named after the year that the University was founded, 1839. According to the Alumni Association, the award recognizes the students that represent the ideals that the University of Missouri was founded on in 1839.
In addition to her four years of experience on the Mizzou swimming and diving squad, Jacinto has proven herself a valuable member of the campus community. She was selected as the lone representative from Mizzou to attend the NCAA National Student-Athlete Leadership Development Conference in 2007, where she met with other student-athletes from across the nation to discuss current issues affecting student-athletes. Jacinto has also been a member of Mizzou's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) for two years now. SAAC is a body made up of members from each of the University's varsity athletic teams that look to promote the best interests of student-athletes.
Jacinto has undoubtedly done her part as a member of the Columbia community as well. During her tenure as a Tiger swimmer, Jacinto and others on the team volunteered at the MS 150, a bike race through Mid-Missouri benefiting those with multiple sclerosis. This past fall, she and some of her fellow swimmers went trick-or-treating for can food donations on behalf of Rainbow House. Jacinto has also volunteered with Grant Elementary and Caring 4 Columbia.
A psychology and Spanish double major, Jacinto was named to the Academic All-Big 12 first team in both 2006 and 2007. To further her interest in psychology she has also worked as a lab assistant in the Department of Psychology.
Each Mizzou `39 recipient will be honored during halftime of the Missouri men's basketball game against Texas A&M on Feb. 9. The honorees are invited to attend a banquet in February as well, where their respective mentors will accompany them.
"I am so happy for Arica," said Kim Martin, Director of Life Skills for Mizzou Athletics and Jacinto's mentor. "Everything she has done in her four years has been nothing but great. She is one of our student-athletes who always do the right thing in the right way. She is all about her teammates and helping her team in any way she can. Everything about the award is what she embodies and we are very happy to have her as an outstanding student-athlete honored.
For more information on the Mizzou '39 Award visit the Mizzou Alumni Association's Web site at www.mizzou.com.