Costella receives Fulbright award

The honors continue for 2000 Carson High graduate Ryan Costella, who has been awarded the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship.

Costella, who just graduated from Villanova where he was the captain of the men's swim team, was awarded the Fulbright Scholarship, which is given by the U.S. State Department to students who study abroad. Costella was considering using the award to study in China.

Even though Costella said he was "ecstatic" to receive the award, he decided to turn it down. Costella will attend Cambridge in England, beginning in mid-September. Costella will participate in a two-year Master's of Philosophy in Chinese Studies program.

He will use a $7,500 NCAA postgraduate scholarship to help pay for the program. The NCAA postgraduate scholarship is the most prestigious award given to student-athletes for graduate studies. Costella was also a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship to attend Oxford in England.