UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. - Saginaw Valley State University women's soccer student-athlete Kristen Tomczyk (Lapeer, Mich./East HS) is the first-ever Cardinal student-athlete to be selected to participate in the prestigious Roberts Fellowship Program.

The Roberts Fellowship Program provides a very select group of outstanding SVSU students with weekly, three-hour seminars on leadership and an international study and travel experience in Asia, a total of six credit hours, all at no cost to them.

Tomczyk, a junior defender on the SVSU women's soccer team, is an Athletic Training major who is actively involved in Cardinal Athletics as she is Chair of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

"I am very humbled and honored to have received admittance into the Roberts Fellowship Program," said Tomczyk. "It will be a great opportunity to develop my leadership skills and experience new surroundings."

The Roberts Fellowship Program is a wonderful opportunity for Saginaw Valley students from a wide range of disciplines to develop their potential as future leaders in their fields, while providing them a unique opportunity for study and travel abroad.

The program is designed to encourage a select group of especially capable SVSU undergraduate students to aspire to positions of responsibility and leadership, and to equip them to achieve the very highest levels of accomplishment and distinction in their subsequent careers.

"Kristen's selection as part of the Roberts Fellowship Program is a huge honor for both her and Cardinal Athletics," said Mike Watson, SVSU Director of Athletics.  "She continues to be a model student-athlete for SVSU through her relentless work ethic and leadership skills."

Students with approximately 48 to 100 hours and a 3.4 GPA are eligible for consideration. Roberts Fellows will be selected primarily on the basis of demonstrated academic accomplishment, campus and/or community service, and potential for leadership.

"As a student-athlete at Saginaw Valley, I have gained a unique set of skills which have enabled me to excel both in and outside the classroom," stated Tomczyk.

The program concludes in May 2013 when the Fellows are immersed for three weeks in Asian culture. They find their experiences to be life changing and inspiring as they enter into graduate school as well as a broad range of careers. Expenses for travel experiences, as well as academic courses, are funded by the Saginaw Valley State University Foundation.

"We, as a department, are so pleased that Kristen has been chosen to take part in this amazing opportunity," expressed Watson.