Going to college is a costly venture. According to the Education Data Initiative, the average cost of attendance for a student living on campus at a public four-year in-state institution is $26,027 per year. That number is already high, but after a few years, it crawls into dangerous territory and becomes difficult for anyone to pay off. That’s why scholarships are such a big deal for college students. A scholarship could change a student’s academic outlook, but only so many scholarships are available each year. A football player from Eastern Michigan University was recently gifted a scholarship that will allow him to experience college in a new light. Every year, the Eastern Michigan football program is allowed to give out 85 scholarships to its players. Without these scholarships, many players would be unable to attend college or, at the very least, would have to make sacrifices to fund their education. This was something that Zack Conti, an offensive lineman at Eastern Michigan, knew all too well. It’s More Than a Game A FOOTBALL TEAMMATE’S SELFLESS ACT
was aware of Conti’s situation and urged the NCAA to allow them to offer Conti the
team’s 86th scholarship, but the league wouldn’t budge. Thankfully, one of Conti’s teammates had his back. Brian Dooley approached Coach Creighton and offered his scholarship to Conti. “I did it because I’ve seen Conti grow over the years. Seeing him walk away from something he loves did not sit well with me,” Dooley said. “He works hard and gets extra work with me all the time. In my eyes, he earned it 100%. Giving up my scholarship so he can stay and play means everything. I’m proud of what he has become and cannot wait to see what he does on the field.”
Conti was one of the few EMU football players without a scholarship and he worked various jobs to make ends meet. Coach Chris Creighton
Conti is excited to be back on the field with his teammates. His newly earned scholarship will surely help take some of the pressure and stress off his back!
Solution on Pg. 4 Have a Laugh!
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