Lewis-Clark State College tennis player Shefat Baishakhi is in New York this week to receive her prestigious ITA/Arthur Ashe Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship.

Baishakhi, who will be a senior at LCSC this year, is the NAIA women’s recipient of the award. The award goes to a player who exhibited outstanding sportsmanship and leadership as well as scholastic, extracurricular, and tennis achievements. Baishakhi, who is from Dhaka, Bangladesh, led a fundraising effort for victims of a typhoon in her home country last fall. She also played No. 1 singles for the Warrior women last spring. 

The ITA Collegiate Awards Luncheon, will be held on Saturday in the President's Suite Dining Room at the USTA National Tennis Center during the Arthur Ashe Kids Day festival.  Immediately following the awards luncheon, all team members and VIP guests will be treated to box seat tickets to view the pre-show exhibition beginning at 1:30 p.m., followed by the Center Court Stadium Show beginning at 2:00 p.m.

As an ITA National Arthur Ashe Awards winner, Baishakhi will attend the NJTL Arthur Ashe Essay Contest awards luncheon with New York Mayor Dinkins.; a special USTA event on Sunday at the outskirts of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Baishakhi will speak briefly on the significance of being named an ITA National Arthur Ashe Award winner.

The event is held prior to the U.S. Open tennis tournament, which kicks off on Aug. 25 at Flushing Meadows in New York.