The NCAA last week announced the 2025 Woman of the Year award, along with several of the organization’s other honors and recipients. This year’s winner is Samantha Schott, a student-athlete from the University of Texas at Tyler.
According to the NCAA, the Woman of the Year award was established in 1991. Schools from Divisions I, II and III nominate female student-athletes, and each fall the NCAA releases a long list of 30 honorees — 10 from each division. This year, over 600 female student-athletes were nominated. The goal is to honor the “academic achievements, athletic excellence, community service and leadership of graduating women student-athletes.”
Schott was a member of the softball team at the University of Texas at Tyler. During her time with the Patriots, Schott led her team to win two D-II national championships, earned first-team All-Region honors, two Lone Star Conference Golden Glove awards and broke the school record for sacrifice hits.
Off the field, Schott earned the NCAA Elite 90 — recognizing student-athletes with the highest GPA at each NCAA championship final site — and she volunteered in Guatemala with various medical missions.
"Words cannot fully express how loved and honored I feel after receiving this award," Schott said. "The university and softball program have shaped me in more ways than I can count, but one of the most meaningful lessons I've learned from UT Tyler is to make the most of each day and be grateful for every opportunity it brings. Life has its busy seasons, but there's always time to pause and be grounded in gratitude for all that life offers."
As her undergraduate career closed, Schott enrolled at UT Tyler School of Medicine, where she will earn her Doctorate of Medicine.
“Sam is a true balance of excellence and kindness in everything she does,” UT Tyler head softball coach Mike Reed told KETK News. ”This has defined her character as a Patriot over the past four years. She has carried high expectations for herself and her teammates, leading with hard work and poise. She is so deserving of this honor of NCAA Woman of the Year, which exemplifies her ability to excel in all areas of sport, academics, leadership, and character.”
