MELBOURNE, Fla. – Embry-Riddle men's basketball senior Elijah Jenkins added another honor to his extensive list of accolades on Thursday when he was named the 2020-21 Sunshine State Conference Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The epitome of the Student-Person-Player, Jenkins is the first ERAU student-athlete to claim an SSC end-of-year award.
 
A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Jenkins is on an accelerated track at ERAU, pursuing an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA. He is also minoring in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics and boasts a 3.975 cumulative grade point average.
 
Jenkins has been named to the Sunshine State Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll four times, to the NABC Honors Court twice, and is the only two-time Academic All-American as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America in ERAU basketball history. He has been awarded the prestigious Steve & Vicky Ridder Scholarship (2020-21), was the recipient of an Eagles of Excellence scholarship, and has been selected as the guest speaker representing ERAU's student-athletes at the University's Blue & Gold Gala.

"This is possibly the most prestigious honor in the history of our basketball program," Embry-Riddle Men's Basketball Head Coach Steve Ridder said. "Elijah's success is an example of great parenting, dedication, discipline, and drive to achieve the priorities in his life."

A fixture on the Embry-Riddle College of Engineering Dean's List, Jenkins was named the 2021 ERAU College of Engineering Outstanding Undergraduate Student and was part of the Solar Studz team that won first place in the Solar District Cup, a competition run by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory that challenges students to design and model optimized energy systems by integrating such technologies as solar energy and storage for a campus or urban district. He has interned with Boeing's Commercial Aircraft Division and with Carrier Corporation in the Commercial Engineering Department.

Jenkins is also active on campus and in the community. He helped initiate the Eagle Study Connection, which is a service to help student-athletes receive help with academics, including one-on-on tutoring with study mentors, and was selected to be the student-athlete speaker at an event for Food Brings Hope. He has participated in numerous clean-up programs within the Daytona Beach Community and has volunteered with Bike for Multiple Sclerosis, Children's Miracle Network Dance Marathon Fundraiser and the American Heart Association Heart Walk.
 
A three-year starter for the Blue and Gold, Jenkins has averaged 28.2 minutes per game over his collegiate career, shooting 42 percent from the field, 40 percent from three-point land, and 79 percent from the free throw line. He has averaged 9.2 points and 2.3 assists over 86 career contests, and he ranks seventh all-time with 196 made three-point field goals.

"Elijah is the very best ambassador of our University, our Athletic Department, and our basketball program," Ridder said. "We are so proud of all of Elijah's accomplishments, on the court, in the classroom, in his life. It is truly an honor to coach this special young man." 

Voting for the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award is conducted among Athletic Directors, Senior Woman Administrators, Athletic Communication Directors, and Faculty Athletic Representatives from the 11 SSC member institutions.