DURHAM, N.C. – North Carolina Central University football redshirt sophomore Juan Velarde has been named the NCCU Student-Athlete of the Month for August 2022 in recognition of his outstanding performance on the field, in the classroom and in the community.
 
Velarde has been NCCU's starting punter in all seven games this season and he currently ranks third in the MEAC with an average of 40.9 yards per punt.
 
Academically, Velarde is a junior in the classroom and he boasts a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) at NCCU.
 
The Honor Roll and Dean's List honoree has been collecting awards and achievements since arriving on campus. Velarde is a member of the University Honors Program. He also earned the NCCU Football Eagle Excellence award for having the highest GPA on the team and was a recipient of the 2022 University Scholar-Athlete Award by the National Football Foundation's Bill Dooley Chapter.
 
Velarde participates in numerous clubs and organizations. A few include the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), NCAA Committee and The National Society of Leadership and Success.
 
In the community, Velarde has a long list of activities he has volunteered his time, some of which include Durham Farmer Foodshare, Durham-Raleigh El Centro Hispano, W.G. Pearson Elementary Food Pantry support, Bone Marrow Drive, Day of Champions Backpack & School Supply Drive and Durham CROP Hunger Walk.
 
Velarde is from Anderson, South Carolina, and he expects to graduate from NCCU in May of 2024. He plans to become a successful entrepreneur in the coffee business, becoming a coffee-seed retailer of Peruvian coffee and/or possibly work for an international business at some point.
 
For a complete list of award winners, visit NCCUEaglePride.com.