LA JOLLA, Calif. — The NCAA has selected UC San Diego's Kyra Wu as one of the 42 winter recipients of the organization's Postgraduate Scholarship. The award is given to student-athletes who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievements, athletic excellence and leadership within their communities.
 
Only 126 scholarships are awarded to student-athletes across all three NCAA divisions annually. In order to be eligible, individuals must have completed their final year of athletics competition.
 
Wu is the 39th all-time recipient of the honor at UC San Diego and the second since the university's move to Division I in 2020. She is the second fencer and first-ever female fencer to earn the award as a Triton.
 
The one-time scholarship of $10,000 is intended to support student-athletes who are moving on to graduate school. Wu will be furthering her education at the University of Cambridge in England, where she will join the Sensor CDT program, a four-year integrated master's and PhD program. She plans to pursue a career in medical technology, including sensor systems that can be used for remote healthcare, at-home monitoring and manned space exploration.

Wu is a native of San Diego and will graduate this year having completed a bachelor's degree in chemistry with a minor in engineering mechanics. Her time at UC San Diego has featured research work in various labs, papers and other projects. Wu has also had opportunities to learn in the field through internships and programs at Lawrence Livermore, NASA and the U.S. Air Force.

For her work in the classroom, Wu has received numerous UC San Diego awards from the chemistry department and Revelle College. The foilist is a three-time USFCA All-Academic Scholar of Distinction selection and a three-time MPSF All-Academic selection. Wu was also named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team in 2023.
 
The senior has been active in both the UC San Diego and greater San Diego community throughout her time as a Triton. She spent three years on the Triton Athletes' Council, including two on the executive board. Wu has been involved in a variety of community service projects, helping with causes such as child abuse, food insecurity, beach cleanup and local health. In 2024, the United States Fencing Coaches Association (USFCA) awarded her with the USFCA Community Service Recognition Award.
 
Athletically, Wu reached 100 career wins this season. She has two top-three individual finishes at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Championship and was a part of UC San Diego's first-ever team MPSF title in March. Wu is a two-time All-MPSF honoree and also claimed All-Region accolades in 2023.
 
QUOTABLE – KYRA WU
On what the scholarship means to her:
"It is a testament to the continued guidance and support I have received over the years from my coaches, teammates, sports administrators, professors and research mentors. This scholarship will ease the financial burden of graduate school and make it more feasible for me to pursue professional development opportunities and support focused work in space health research and technology."
 
On her time with Triton fencing:
"As a scholar-athlete, I have grown under coach Juan Ignacio (Calderon)'s philosophy of developing the whole person: Athlete, student and leader. Over time, I have taken on increasing responsibilities, from mentoring first-year students to serving as a captain, organizing community service initiatives and acting as vice president on the Triton Athletes' Council. These roles helped me gain confidence as a leader, encouraged me to create opportunities and deepened my understanding of the impact we can have on the communities around us. It also taught me to work within constraints, adapt quickly and stay committed to excellence—all of which I will carry forward into the next stage of my career."
 
On her teammates:
"I am deeply grateful for my teammates, who have been a constant part of my daily life—whether chatting in Blue Pepper, making meals after late-night practices or exploring campus and San Diego together. They are not just people I have fun with, they are also those I lean on during tough times. I especially remember the upperclassmen who took care of me when I first arrived; their support shaped how I approached my role, not only on the fencing team but also within the larger athletics community and beyond. They inspired me to want to build and improve on the communities that I am a part of.
 
"Going into our last competition, it was definitely bittersweet. But winning the conference championship as a team—which we had not achieved in the prior three seasons I was on the team—was an incredible way to close this chapter of my life. I am grateful for every moment my teammates have given me."
 
About the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Program
Established in 1964, the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship program promotes and encourages graduate education by recognizing the Association's most accomplished student-athletes. The program evaluates candidates on their athletic and academic achievements, campus involvement, community service and leadership. An equitable selection process ensures that all nominees, regardless of sport, division, gender or race, are considered fairly.
 
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 24-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 39 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in Divisions I and II.