Having already earned two degrees, former St. Cloud State forward Aidan Spilacie has been named the 2023 NCHC graduate scholarship recipient as he proceeds to earn a third.
Spellacy, who plans to attend law school next, is the first Husky to win the scholarship in its eight-year existence.
Spellacy completed his MBA from St. Cloud State this past May. He holds an MBA in Management and Leadership, and has a 3.93 GPA. Before attending playing hockey at St. Cloud State, Spellacy began his college career at Robert Morris, where he earned his associate’s degree in August 2021. Spellacy finished his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at RMU with a 3.88 GPA while majoring in Marketing.
“NCHC is proud to present this year’s Aidan Graduate Scholarship. “Having already completed two degrees with plans to pursue a Juris Doctor, this is impressive,” NCHC Commissioner Heather Weems said in a statement. Aidan’s commitment to education and his interest in being a voice for social justice shows that he is more than deserving. Knowing Aidan from my time at St.
Spellacy has already been accepted to the Cleveland State University School of Law, where he will begin work towards his Juris Doctor degree in the fall of 2023 or fall 2024.
“I am committed to attending graduate school, specifically law school, because I believe this is the path necessary to prepare myself to achieve my goals. I am passionate about social justice and believe that a career in law is one of the most powerful options to effect real change in our society,” Spellacy wrote in his scholarship nomination tuition. “Through law school, I will have the opportunity to learn from seasoned legal professionals who come from all different walks of life. Law school is also a time for me to find my legal major and explore the type of law that I am passionate about, whether it be public offices or justice reform Criminal or Environmental Law. A law degree will give me the credibility and confidence to make real change.”
Spellacy was named an NCHC Distinguished Professor of Sports this season with a GPA north of 3.5. On the ice in 2022-23, he served as an alternate captain for the Huskies, scoring four goals and collecting 12 points in 35 games, while helping lead SCSU to the Frozen Faceoff title. In his first season with the Huskies in 2021-22, Spellacy had an assist in 19 games, with SCSU making the NCAA tournament in both seasons.
In three seasons with Robert Morris, he scored 33 points in 91 games, and also served as an alternate captain as a junior.
Off the ice, Spellacy has volunteered with the Frost Bites Special Olympics floor hockey team in St. Cloud, helping train the coaches on a weekly basis throughout the 2022-23 season. In the summer of 2022, he worked as a marketing intern at ReadySet Surgical in Cleveland, Ohio, while in the summer of 2021, he worked as a financial representative for Northwestern Mutual in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
“It is a great honor to receive a graduate scholarship from NCHC. “The NCHC conference is not only a top-notch conference on the ice, but it’s also off it,” Spellasi said. “They give their student-athletes the opportunity to succeed on the ice, but also in their post-hockey careers.”
The NCHC Graduate Scholarship is funded by a grant from the El Pomar Foundation in Colorado Springs, which has also supported NCHC by providing its office headquarters on the grounds of the Penrose House and helping cover the cost of the Penrose Cup. The Spellacy Scholarship amount will be $7,500.
“The membership of the NCHC is grateful for the continued support of the Albomar Foundation and its Board of Directors.” Weems said. “Besides our successes on the ice, it is equally important to celebrate the success of our student athletes in the classroom. We are thrilled to share this honor with the Bomars.”
To be eligible for an NCHC Graduate Scholarship, a student-athlete must be a senior or graduate student on the official NCAA hockey roster with a GPA of at least 3.5, and who plans to continue academic studies after his undergraduate studies. The recipient must enroll in a graduate degree program within three years of receiving the scholarship to receive financial aid. The winner is chosen by a vote of NCHC college athletics representatives from among the nominees submitted by each school’s FAR.
Previous winners of the NCHC Graduate Scholarship
2016 – Gabe Levine, Denver
2017 – Aaron Hadley, WMU and Kirk Thompson, Omaha
2018 – Joel Messner, Omaha
2019 – Ryan Galt, Omaha
2020 – Eric Fair, Denver
2021 – Kyle Bennett, Western Michigan
2022 – Jason Smallridge, Omaha