Gresko Receives Vangermeersch Award

May 19, 2008

University of Rhode Island senior football player Damien Gresko was recently named the recipient of the Vangermeersch Award, which is given annually to the top accounting graduate and undergraduate students. One of the most decorated student-athletes in school history, Gresko also recently received the Elizabeth Holmes Award at the URI Senior Athlete Banquet in Narragansett. The award recognizes the top male and female student-athletes for combined academic and athletic excellence.

An accounting and finance double major who holds a 3.97 GPA, Gresko started four games for the Rams in 2007 before suffering a season-ending injury. Still, he was named to the 2007 CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Second Team (University Division) - the only student-athlete from a Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) institution named to the squad.

An eight-time Dean's List selection, Gresko was named an Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference selection as a freshman, sophomore, and junior, and has twice won the A.A. Savastano Scholar-Athlete award, which is presented annually to the URI football player who has displayed exemplary academic performance.

Gresko has also garnered Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Honor Roll honors and is a member of both the Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. As a freshman, he was awarded the URI President's Perfect Performer Scholarship, which recognizes students who have maintained a 4.00 GPA during their first year of college. Last year, Gresko received both the Grace B. Sherrer Award, which is presented annually to the top honors student at Rhode Island, as well as the Peter M. Galanti Outstanding Junior Award, given to the top two juniors in the College of Business Administration.

Through the College of Busines, Gresko completed an accounting internship at Horan, Golden, & Co. Ltd., as well as an assurance internship at PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, in Boston. He recently accepted an internship with Raymond James in St. Petersburg, Fla., where he will be an investment banking analyst in the company's real estate group.