Grace Efosa, a senior at Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School, yesterday was awarded a full scholarship to attend Providence College next fall.
Efosa accepted a four-year basketball scholarship to Providence College, a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 school that is awarding only two full scholarships this year.
“It’s still unbelievable that I got a scholarship for Division 1, especially since I haven’t played for that long,” Efosa said. “It’s a great feeling.”
Efosa signed her acceptance letter in Whittier Tech’s gymnasium, while sitting at a scoreboard table in front of a crowd of her peers. Sitting beside her was her mom, Esosa Omorodion, brothers Angel, 11, Yuki, 15, Junior, 16, and sister Ebe, 12. After signing, Efosa flipped a Providence College banner over the scoreboard and put a Providence College cap on her head.
“That’s like hitting the lottery,” said Whittier’s Athletic Director and Girl’s Basketball Coach Kevin Bradley. “It’s the hard work she put in with her academics, and the summers she spent playing Amateur Athletic Union ball up and down the East Coast and in Las Vegas against the best players in the country.”
A coach from Providence College first noticed Grace, a point guard, during a game her sophomore year when she scored 42 points, had 12 rebounds and 11 assists.