Elise Ackley is the 2020 Vaughn Bigelow Jr. Scholarship Winner! She is pictured above with Big Waves board member Ashley Wilkinson. Elise graduated from East High School in May 2020. She will be attending Eckerd College in Florida. While Eckerd does not have a water polo team, Elise will be studying marine science and animal studies, which will keep her in the water. She is hoping to find a local water polo team to play with and mentor the next generation of players.

On her application, Elise wrote:

“In all of the sports and activities I have participated in, being a part of the team has been the most rewarding part of my experiences. Of course I am competitive and like to win, but it is the other athletes or participants that motivate me to be the best I can be. Generally a more defensive player in water polo, I have never felt the need to have the spotlight on me by scoring lots of goals or swimming the fastest.”