University of Rochester field hockey graduate Mara Heppard was selected as one of 42 fall recipients of the NCAA's 2024-25 Postgraduate Scholarship program, as announced by the NCAA earlier this year.
 
A three-time All-Liberty League selection, Heppard capped off a stellar career with the Yellowjackets with both First-Team All-Liberty League and First-Team All-Region honors, appearing in and starting all 21 games and playing 1,312 minutes, the most among UR field players.
 
Over 21 games this season, Heppard scored one goal and tallied a team-high seven assists and three defensive saves, while for her career, Heppard appeared in 84 games, scoring seven goals and dishing out 17 assists for a total of 31. In 4,523 career minutes played, Heppard took 29 shots (18 on goal) and made a significant impact on both sides of the ball, tallying seven defensive saves.
 
Heppard was also named to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division III Senior Team for her efforts this past season and was selected as UR's Sylvia Fabricant Award winner following the 2023-24 academic year.
 
Off the field, Heppard, a business and digital media studies major as an undergraduate and a marketing analytics major as a graduate at Simon, is a four-time Liberty League All-Academic selection, a four-time member of the NFHCA's National Academic Squad, a three-time NFHCA Scholar of Distinction and a three-time College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honoree.
 
Additionally, Heppard was named a Lylse 'Spike' Garnish Scholar-Athlete prior to the 2023 campaign, and was inducted to Phi Beta Kappa and the recipient of the University's Student Life Athletic Leadership Award following the 2023-24 academic year.
 
Each year, the NCAA awards up to 126 postgraduate scholarships to student-athletes who have completed their final year of athletics competition. The scholarships are distributed three times annually — in the fall, winter and spring — providing 21 scholarships each to men and women per season. The award is a one-time, nonrenewable scholarship intended to support graduate study at an accredited institution.
 
Established in 1964, the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship program promotes and encourages graduate education by recognizing the Association's most accomplished student-athletes. The program evaluates candidates on their athletic and academic achievements, campus involvement, community service and leadership. An equitable selection process ensures that all nominees, regardless of sport, division, gender or race, are considered fairly.