Brittany Marshall Receives Ernest P. and Nerina C. Rangazas Scholarship

June 07, 2012

SUNY Plattsburgh sophomore Brittany Marshall has been named this year’s recipient of the Ernest P. and Nerina C. Rangazas Scholarship.

Created to continue the legacy of the late SUNY Plattsburgh coach and administrator and his wife, the endowed, academic scholarship is designed to assist students who share the Rangazas’s commitment to athletics and scholarly learning.

Marshall said she has always had a passion for both.

At Franklin Academy High School in Malone, N.Y., she played three varsity sports — soccer, basketball, and softball — and maintained a rank of fifth in her class.

Her desire to pursue a career in athletics led her to SUNY Plattsburgh where she is now majoring in fitness and wellness leadership and minoring in athletic coaching.

“Fitness and wellness leadership is a unique major that you really can’t find anywhere else and seemed like the perfect fit for me,” Marshall said.

Her decision to come to Plattsburgh was also influenced by the experiences she had with coaches and players during her visits to the college.

“I felt so welcomed,” Marshall said. “My goal was just to come in and work really hard to contribute to the success of the programs in any way I could.”

In her first year at Plattsburgh, Marshall has already earned many awards for her contributions to the basketball and softball teams. She was named the State University of New York Athletic Conference Athlete of the Week for Basketball for the week ending Jan. 1 and the SUNYAC Rookie of the Year for Softball, making her the first SUNY Plattsburgh softball player to receive this recognition.

Marshall said she is grateful to receive the Ernest P. and Nerina C. Rangazas Scholarship for her achievements. “This award means a great deal to me, especially considering the legacy left by Mr. and Mrs. Rangazas at Plattsburgh State — what the college meant to them and what they mean to the college. … This financial gift is a tremendous help toward my college tuition and allows me to pursue a career in the field I love,” Marshall said.

Ernest served the college for 27 years as a coach, teacher, administrator, athletic director and chairman of health, physical education and recreation. Meanwhile, Nerina was active in the faculty wives’ association, played tennis, and volunteered throughout the area.