Towson, Md. – Towson University women's basketball returning point guard Aleah Nelson has become just the second student-athlete to be awarded the Robert J. Marchanti Endowed Scholarship.
Nelson will be awarded the honor as part of the University's Foundation Scholars Celebration. This is an annual event that recognizes Towson University Foundation scholarship donors along with their recipients to reflect on their accomplishments.
"This scholarship means that my hard work on and off the court does not go unnoticed," Nelson said. "I am honored to receive the award and this will only motivate me to keep being the leader I was destined to be."
Upon transferring to Towson for her sophomore season, Nelson made an immediate impact starting in all 20 games in which she appeared in. She was selected to the All-CAA Second Team after leading the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) with both 6.5 assists per game and 130 total helpers. During her first season in black and gold, the Baltimore native led the Tigers in assists in 19 of 20 games played and contributed +5 dimes 14 times. The guard can also take it to the basket, as she averaged 13.5 points per game in addition to scoring +10 points 17 times and +20 points twice.
The scholarship is named in honor of Major Marchanti who was killed in action while working with the Afghan National Police and serving for the Maryland Army National Guard. He joined the Army in 1984 and used his discipline and strength to later join the Towson University wrestling team. Maj. Marchanti graduated from Towson in 1989 with a degree in physical education and went on to teach for 17 years in Baltimore County. In 2008 he left teaching to join the Guard full time.
CSM (Ret.) Tom Beyard '77 has been a longtime ally of the women's basketball team and presented the idea of honoring Maj. Marchanti. He has helped the scholarship grow from $1,000 to over $40,000.
"I couldn't be happier with [Aleah] being chosen," CSM (Ret.) Beyard said. "She is of very high caliber both on and off the court. When you're a student-athlete, you have to be great on the court but you also have to be a good student and I think [Aleah] epitomizes what Division I Women's Basketball is all about. The balance she has to have between the classroom and the court really impresses me."
Towson women's basketball alumna Ryan Holder was the first student-athlete to be presented with the scholarship in 2019.
The Foundation Scholars Celebration video will go live to the public on Friday, June 4 at 11:30 a.m. and can be found here.
To learn more about Maj. Robert J. Marchanti and to contribute to the scholarship in his honor, please click here.
