Six UCF student-athletes will be recognized at halftime of the spring football game for their accomplishments in the classroom.

The new UCF Scholar-Athlete of the Month program recognizes student-athletes who demonstrate consistency, reliability and accountability in their academic work. One male and one female student-athlete are honored each month.

The first six recipients of the award, established by the Academic Services for Student-Athletes office, will be acknowledged Saturday during halftime of the UCF Spring Football Game presented by PNC Bank. The game starts at 2 p.m. at Bright House Networks Stadium.

“Our student-athletes work exceptionally hard in the classroom,” said Maribeth Ehasz, vice president for the university’s Student Development and Enrollment Services division, which includes Academic Services for Student-Athletes. “We wanted to give faculty members, coaches, teammates and fans an opportunity to recognize the accomplishments of those who demonstrate a great attitude and succeed in their studies.”

UCF’s student-athletes have performed well in the classroom. They have achieved a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 for each of the last eight semesters, and 221 Knights qualified for the Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll in 2011-12 with individual grade-point averages of 3.0 or better. That total ranked first among all of C-USA’s public institutions.

UCF Athletics’ 83 percent graduation success rate is tied for the top rating among Florida’s public universities.

Nominated by their academic advisers, the following six student-athletes representing five sports have received Scholar-Athlete of the Month awards:

February:

DJ Williams (Football/Junior/Sport and Fitness) “DJ is a hard worker and dedicated student.  He strives to do the best he can in all he does.”  — Erica Hampton, academic adviser

Andrea Hines (Women’s Basketball/Freshman/Health Sciences) “Andrea really wants to learn and do well academically.  She has a great attitude.”  — Sarah Hill, academic adviser

March:

Jacques Mackeroy (Football/Freshman/Interdisciplinary Studies) “Jacques is a very dedicated student who puts forth a lot of continuous effort to be successful in the classroom. He has a positive attitude about academics and is setting a great example for his teammates.” – Brittney O’Dell, academic adviser

Afia Charles (Track and Field/Sophomore/Physical/Occupational Therapy)“Afia does not settle for mediocrity and constantly strives to achieve her best both in the classroom and on the track.” — Jessie Mills, academic adviser

April:

Ronald Garcia (Men’s Soccer/Freshman/Civil Engineering) “Ronnie is a hard-working student who puts in a lot of effort.  He is a great teammate- both on and off the soccer field.”  – Adam Hubbard, academic adviser

Anita Schmidt (Rowing/Sophomore/Business Management) “Anita has committed herself to be successful in her classes.  She keeps up a positive attitude while balancing her classes and competing in-season.”  — Margaret Dann, academic adviser