STFX Athletics announces two Danny Gallivan Memorial Scholarship recipients

STFX Athletics is pleased to announce two new recipients of the Danny Gallivan Memorial Scholarship. Incoming X-Men Football student-athlete Oluwatobiloba (Tobi) Sokunbi and X-Women Basketball recruit Shannon Neita are the 2023 award recipients.

The Danny Gallivan Memorial Scholarship is STFX Athletics most prestigious scholarship and is awarded to Canadian male and female varsity athletes who combine qualities of leadership with academic excellence. The award is currently valued up to $5000 per year and is renewable for up to four years as long as the recipient remains on the academic Dean's List.

X-Men Football head coach Gary Waterman notes, "I feel that Tobi is a very deserving recipient of the Danny Gallivan Memorial Scholarship. Throughout the recruitment process Tobi showed that he was just as serious about his academics as he was about football. I am very happy to be welcoming Tobi to our team this fall. He has tremendous potential to contribute to our team both on the field and in the locker room and I believe he will represent this prestigious scholarship in a very positive way."

A native of Winnipeg, Man., Sokunbi comes to STFX via Vincent Massey Collegiate where he was the starting center and defensive lineman for their varsity football team. A captain of the squad, he was named to the Division 1 All-Division team and was nominated for the lineman of the year award. Tobi also competed for U18 Team Manitoba at the 2022 Football Canada Cup in Kelowna, BC. In the classroom he maintained a 90% average and was a positive figure in the community. He was a member of his school's grad committee, and in the Diversify Club that helps promote inclusion and acceptance of differing cultures, and he helped mentor lineman on the junior varsity team. Tobi also volunteered to coach a spring youth flag football team and is an active member of his church.

He has been accepted into the Bachelor of Arts and Science in Health program at STFX this fall and hopes to one day work in the medical field.

Sokunbi notes, "I am very honoured to be receiving the Danny Gallivan Memorial Scholarship. I cannot wait to get to campus this fall and become a member of the X-Men football team. I'm looking forward to competing and developing both on the field and in the classroom."

Likewise, fellow scholarship recipient Shannon Neita of the STFX women's basketball team comments, "I am extremely grateful to be given such a prestigious award in memory of Danny Gallivan and was honoured to be nominated. I am blessed to have an opportunity to even apply for such an award and to be gifted as a recipient is beyond words."

Neita comes to STFX via Michael Power St. Joseph High School in Toronto where she was an honour roll student in all four years, graduating as an Ontario Scholar and receiving a special certificate in French language. The 94% student has volunteered at summer basketball camps and spends time volunteering with various odd jobs in her community assisting elderly neighbors. She mentored the Junior JUEL basketball team while also competing with the Durham City Chameleons in the Ontario Junior Elite League (JUEL). With the Chameleons, Shannon won back-to-back championships, was recognized on the JUEL All-Defensive team and was selected to participate in the 2023 JUEL all-star game. She was also a member on the highly competitive Scarborough Prep program that competes in Canada's premier preparatory basketball league.  

Shannon is enrolled in the Bachelor of Business Administration program at STFX this fall and hopes to become an accredited, public chartered accountant.

X-Women head coach Matt Spencer notes that Shannon "is a perfect example of the type of person we are trying to bring into the X-Women Basketball program. She is a top student, a fantastic athlete, and a wonderful teammate."

The Danny Gallivan Memorial Scholarship was established in 1992 to honor Danny Gallivan, an outstanding Canadian and widely respected STFX alumnus. Gallivan (1917-1993) was a native of Sydney, N.S. and graduated from STFX in 1942. He was an outstanding radio and television personality who became known as 'the voice of the Montreal Canadiens' after covering play-by-play for over 1800 Canadiens hockey games. He became involved in numerous community fundraising initiatives after his 32 year broadcast career and was inducted into the Canadian Broadcasters Hall of Fame (1991), the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame (1989), the Hockey Hall of Fame as a Media Honouree (1984), and the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame (1980). Danny Gallivan received an honorary doctor of laws degree from STFX University in 1985.

The most recent STFX Gallivan Scholarship recipients include Jacob Benoit (X-Men Cross Country/Track) and Sarah Lapensee (X-Women Soccer), who are recent graduates, along with Gabriel Gaspar (X-Men Soccer) and Liam McCullagh (X-Men Cross Country/Track).

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