KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced Thursday that Bushnell University’s Samantha Silver was named the LeRoy Walker Champions of Character Award recipient.
“On behalf of the entire conference, we send our congratulations to Ms. Samantha Silver,” stated Cascade Collegiate Conference Commissioner Robert Cashell. “She has distinguished herself with her efforts in servant leadership. We are all so proud of her accomplishments and well-deserved recognition.”
The award, considered one of the most prestigious honors in the NAIA, recognizes a student-athlete who excels in athletics and academics and is committed to the Champions of Character program’s five core values of integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership. The NAIA initiative is designed to instill an understanding of character values in sport and provide student-athletes, coaches and parents the training to help them know and do the right things, inside and outside the sports setting. Champions of Character is dedicated to the principle that character is a choice and that being a champion is about reaching your potential and making good decisions consistently in daily life.
“At Bushnell we have a tri-athlete model for athletics where we strive to provide opportunities for our students to grow in character, academics, and athletics,” said Assoc. AD Sarah Freeman. “Sam embodies all three areas of our tri-athlete model and is so deserving of this award. Sam saw a need and created a program that is now impacting hundreds of student-athletes. Sam’s vision and heart for the mental health and well-being of her fellow students coupled with her passions and goals have inspired and unified our campus. Sam is a true Beacon and we are so proud of her."
Silver, a senior from Mount Vernon, Wash., is a strong representation of Bushnell's "Tri-Athlete Model" as she thrives in all aspects as a holistic student-athlete on the field, in the classroom, and as a champion of character. Originally recruited as a utility player for the Beacon softball team, Silver stepped up to fill a gap in the pitching staff her first season and remained in that role to become Bushnell's top pitcher this year as the team missed the playoffs by just one game.
Academically, Silver owns a 3.94 GPA in communication and graduated Summa Cum Laude. She was named the Gardepiey-Peloquin Outstanding Speaker Award winner, given to the top graduating communication student.
Silver’s character speaks for itself. She is passionate about life, passionate about learning and passionate about helping others on and off the field. Working part-time jobs in the library and coffee shop on campus and running her own coffee-mug design company, Silver balances those multiple jobs outside of her academic and athletic commitments and continually made time for those in the community and peers on campus.
Silver interned with the Bushnell counseling office this year and began developing a program that would have a team counselor for every Bushnell athletic team, as well as a peer counselor. She will assume that role of Peer Counselor this fall when she begins her master’s program in clinical mental health counseling. As part of her capstone project this spring, she met with different spring sports teams about student-athlete mental health issues, providing resources, and getting feedback on what can be improved for the teams.
Silver also gives private softball lessons, serves as a leader in the Bushnell chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, was a team captain and the softball SAAC representative. She had a leading role in the team’s community service efforts, especially during Bushnell's "Embrace the Community" day where the team worked at a local park, clearing and mulching walking paths and pruning overgrown blackberry bushes. Silver also spearheaded the effort to have the team do a Letter of Intent signing for a "medically retired" middle school softball player, who has since become an adopted member of the team.
Silver will be formally presented the award at an awards luncheon and ceremony during the 2023 NAIA National Convention in New Orleans, which takes place March 30-April 3, 2023.