STANFORD, Calif. - Makenzie Fischer has been awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, the latest honor in a final season filled with academic and athletic achievements.
The one-time non-renewable scholarships of $10,000 are awarded three times a year corresponding to each sport season (fall, winter and spring), in which there are 21 scholarships available for men and 21 scholarships available for women.
In addition to maintaining at least a 3.2 grade-point average, student-athletes must perform with distinction in their sport and be nominated by their institution's faculty athletics representative. Academic achievements, campus involvement, community service, volunteer activities and demonstrated leadership are also evaluated.
Fischer, who boasted a 4.032 undergraduate GPA and 4.0 graduate GPA in mechanical engineering, will use the scholarship to complete her master's degree on The Farm.
Honored as the CoSIDA Academic All-America At-Large Team Member of the Year for the second time in her career (2019, 2022), Fischer is also a three-time CoSIDA Academic All-America At-Large (2018, 2019, 2022). Fischer was Stanford's NCAA Elite 90 Award nominee this season while also being named a four-time ACWPC All-Academic recipient and three-time MPSF All-Academic Team honoree.
A two-time Peter J. Cutino Award honoree (2019, 2022) as the nation's most outstanding player, Fischer returned to the pool this season for the first time since 2019 due to both Olympic training/competition and pandemic-shortened seasons. A two-time ACWPC Player of the Year and four-time ACWPC All-American, Fischer guided Stanford to its eighth NCAA title in school history in 2022 while becoming the Cardinal's all-time leading scorer in her final season.
Fischer's service, volunteer work and leadership activities include involvement with Mercer Street Friends, USA Water Polo Racial Equity and Reform, USA Water Polo clinics, Special Olympics and New York Presbyterian Komansky Children's Hospital.
Stanford's nation-leading overall total of NCAA postgraduate scholarship recipients stands at 183.
The NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship was created in 1964 to promote and encourage graduate education by rewarding the Association's most accomplished student-athletes through their participation in NCAA championship and/or emerging sports.