Wayne, NJ (January 23, 2015) – Senior Alyssa Brandt has been selected as a recipient of the Haier Achievement Award, which is presented to deserving student-athletes for their accomplishments beyond sports as announced on the organization's web site on Friday morning.
 
The announcement of the fourth of eight Haier Achievement Awards being presented this year was made by John Homlish, senior vice president, Digital Living Business Unit for Haier America, one of the world's leading television and appliance manufacturers, and Doug Vance, Executive Director of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). 
 
"The Haier Achievement Award program brings to light those student-athletes who have achieved success beyond sports," said Homlish. "By recognizing inspiring student-athletes like Alyssa we hope to further motivate other young people to achieve and succeed both on and off the field.  We commend Alyssa for the inspiring and selfless volunteer work she has done, helping those in need around the world."
 
Brandt, a graduate of Clear Spring H.S. in Hagerstown, MD, was a member of the DeSales soccer team thru her junior season scoring five goals and five assists in three years.  She is a four-year member of the track & field team earning All-MAC Second-Team honors in the 400-meter hurdles and heptathlon as a junior.  Additionally, she has been named to the MAC Fall, Winter, and Spring Academic Honor Roll twice each and was honored last year with the Al Senavitis Service Award.
 
A biology (pre-med.) major with a triple minor in chemistry, psychology, and sport & exercise science, Brandt has been active in mission trips since she was 15-years old. She has since done numerous trips to places such as Ghana, Haiti, and Honduras working in city hospitals, doing medical outreach missions, and assisting in mobile clinics.  Throughout her journeys she has become inspired to one-day start a clinic in Dessalines, Haiti with the goal of training Haitian healthcare professionals.
 
"When I was 15, I was inspired by the children of Haiti to become a physician and to offer myself in service to the people of Haiti and around the world," said Brandt. "I am incredibly honored to be recognized with the Haier Achievement Award, and I am grateful for my family, teachers, coaches, teammates, and the athletic department at DeSales who all support me as I pursue my passion for academics, sports, medicine, and community service."
 
Haier will officially recognize Brandt with a plaque and certificate at an upcoming ceremony.  In addition, Haier will donate $2,000 to the DeSales University general scholarship fund and award a Haier 48-inch LED HD television to the school's athletic department.
 
The first three Haier Achievement Awards were: Elisha Hande (North Carolina State University) - a three-year member of the women's tennis team who maintains a 4.0 GPA with a major in economics and a minor in German and has been honored for her work in the community; JaCorey Shepherd (University of Kansas) - a football player that is active in the community through Big Brothers, Big Sisters and is a three-time Academic All-Big 12 Second Team honoree; and Richie Suarez (Rowan University) - overcame a diagnosis of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and Avascular Necrosis (AVN) by undergoing 40 months of treatment to prove the doctors wrong and take the mound for the Rowan baseball team for his junior and senior seasons. 
 
Student-athletes from all sports, all schools, and all divisions are eligible for the Haier Achievement Award. Members of CoSIDA and fans can nominate student-athletes through March 1 at http://achieve.haieramerica.com.  Haier will announce eight (8) honorees throughout the year and in mid-March invite fans to vote online for the Haier Ultimate Achievement Award winner. The winner will earn his/her school a $5,000 donation to the general scholarship fund and a Haier 40-inch LED HD television. Additionally, all fans who vote will be entered into a drawing to win a Haier 48-inch LED HD TV.
 
ABOUT HAIER: Haier America (www.haier.com/us/) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Haier Group, the world's No. 1 major appliance brand as ranked by Euromonitor International 2013, and a global leader in consumer electronics. Haier employs more than 70,000 people around the world and distributes products in more than 100 countries and regions with global revenues reaching $29.5 billion in 2013.
 
ABOUT CoSIDA: CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America, www.cosida.com) was founded in 1957 and is a 3,000-plus member national organization comprised of sports public relations, media relations and communications/information professionals throughout all levels of collegiate athletics in the U.S. and Canada. CoSIDA has two primary missions: 1) Assist communications and public relations professionals at all collegiate levels with professional development and continuing education, 2) Play a significant leadership and resource role within the overall collegiate athletics enterprise, thus helping other management groups and their respective memberships deal with the set of communications-based issues that is the most complex and challenging in history.