WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Tewaaraton Foundation has announced the recipients of the 16th annual Tewaaraton Native American Scholarships, presented by USA Lacrosse. Awarded to male and female students each year, the scholarship honors high school students of Haudenosaunee / Iroquois heritage who exemplify high character, leadership, and academics both on and off the lacrosse field. Applicants are asked to submit an essay describing what the sport of lacrosse means to them as Native American student-athletes and members of their community, as well as two letters of recommendation and a high school transcript. 

The 2021 scholarship recipients are Fantasy Jimerson-Kenjockety of the Seneca Nation of Indians and Peter Thais of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe.

Fantasy Jimerson-Kenjockety is a member of the Beaver Clan and resides on the Seneca Cattaraugus Territory. She has been the three-year starting goalie for Lake Shore High School and has also been a member of the Haudenosaunee Nationals U19 Women’s World Team, Haudenosaunee Nationals 2019 PALA Team and WNY Rochester 2019 Team. Fantasy supports and pays respect to her community by consistently volunteering and working with local children. With Fantasy’s drive, diligence and commitment to academics she has decided to graduate high school early and will attend Alfred University in the fall and major in Chemistry.

Peter Thais is a member of the Wolf Clan and is a citizen of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe who attends St. Dominic High School in Oyster Bay, NY. Peter has thrived academically, and his extracurricular activities (Model UN, Climate Change Keynote Speaker, and the National Tribal Leadership Summit) have made him a leader on and off the lacrosse field. Peter is anticipating returning to his community at Akwesasne with a combination of traditional ecological knowledge and newly found perspectives which he hopes to use to tackle the ecological issues facing his community after college. Peter will attend Cornell University in the fall and major in Biological Engineering.

“We’re extremely proud of our 10-year partnership with the Tewaaraton Foundation to provide college scholarship support to outstanding Iroquois student-athletes,” said Steve Stenersen, CEO of USA Lacrosse. “This year’s recipients exemplify the very best of lacrosse.”

A 10-year commitment by USA Lacrosse established the scholarship program, which annually recognizes two outstanding Native American high school seniors for academic achievement and lacrosse excellence. One of the primary goals of the scholarship program is to honor the sport’s Native American roots. Students must be members of the Haudenosaunee / Iroquois community, enrolled in a secondary school and represent the highest ideals of sportsmanship to be eligible for this scholarship. Each scholarship recipient is awarded $10,000 for education — $5,000 for each of their first and second years in college.  

More information on the Tewaaraton Award and previous scholarship winners can be found at www.Tewaaraton.com. 

For more information on the Tewaaraton Award, how to donate to this non-profit, visit Tewaaraton.com. Like and follow The Tewaaraton Foundation at Facebook.com/Tewaaraton, Twitter.com/Tewaaraton and Instagram.com/Tewaaraton. 

About The Tewaaraton Foundation
Founded at the University Club of Washington DC and first presented in 2001, the Tewaaraton Award is recognized as the preeminent lacrosse award, annually honoring the top male and female college lacrosse player in the United States. Endorsed by the Mohawk Nation Council of Elders and U.S. Lacrosse, the Tewaaraton Award symbolizes lacrosse’s centuries-old roots in Native American heritage. The Tewaaraton Foundation ensures the integrity and advances the mission of this award. Each year, the Tewaaraton Award celebrates one of the six tribal nations of the Iroquois Confederacy – the Mohawk, Cayuga, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca and Tuscarora – and presents two scholarships to students of Native American descent. To learn more about The Tewaaraton Foundation, please visit www.tewaaraton.com. 

About USA Lacrosse
USA Lacrosse, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, is the governing body of men’s and women’s lacrosse in the United States, leads the U.S. National Teams Program and establishes universal standards. With nearly 400,000 members across the country, USA Lacrosse unites the community of players, coaches, officials, parents, and program leaders. Working together, we inspire participation, enrich the athlete experience, and support the growth of the sport. To learn more about USA Lacrosse, please visit
www.usalacrosse.com.