Women's soccer players receive AUS awards

Fourth-year striker Scarlett Smith received the women's soccer student-athlete community service award at the Subway AUS Women's Soccer Championship awards luncheon today. The award pays tribute to a student-athlete who excels in the classroom and on the field, while dedicating themselves to bettering the community through volunteerism.

Fourth-year defender Amanda Bowles was also rewarded for all of her hardwork on the pitch this season by being named an AUS second team all-star.

Student-Athlete Community Service Award

Fourth-year striker Scarlett Smith of the Dalhousie Tigers is the 2016 student-athlete community service award recipient.

This is the first time a member of the Dalhousie squad has earned the honour since the award’s inception in 2006.

Smith is an exemplary student-athlete, balancing athletics, academics and extensive community involvement. The nursing student excels in the classroom, having achieved academic all-Canadian status for both the fall and winter semesters last season. With a current GPA of 3.86 and a cumulative GPA of 3.56, she is a four-year recipient of the Lockward Memorial Scholarship—awarded to a Dalhousie nursing student for excellence in the classroom and contributions to their community.

Smith’s involvement in the community is extensive. She is the coordinator for A Tiger’s Christmas—collecting donations from Dalhousie varsity athletes to purchase gifts for children admitted to the IWK children’s hospital over the holidays. She intends to hand-deliver these gifts on Christmas Eve.

Smith volunteers weekly with the Centre for Pediatric Pain research lab at the IWK—facilitating surveys and data input, as well as with the Frontier College Syrian Program—tutoring newcomer Syrian children in math and English.

She was recently selected by the former executive committee to fill the role of campus president for SAMHI—the Student-Athlete Mental Health Initiative—which works to eliminate the negative stigma around mental health and provide resources to athletes and coaches.

Among the many other community initiatives Smith volunteers her time with are the Best Buddies program  (which aids adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities or autism), Dalhousie’s Right to Play society (which uses sport and play to educate and empower children to overcome the effects of poverty, conflict and disease in disadvantaged communities) and Dalhousie’s Special Tigers program (which works with Special Olympics to engage children with special needs in sporting activities).

She also volunteers with the Get Real initiative, the Ronald McDonald House Home for Dinner program, Textbooks for Change, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night Walk and Cuts for Cancer.

“We are so pleased to have Scarlett recognized in this way,” said Tigers head coach Cindy Tye. “She is an exemplary student-athlete who not only finds the time to balance top academics and varsity athletics, her commitment to bettering her community is impressive to say the least. She leads by example and gets others involved and is a terrific representative of the Tigers program. Wherever Scarlett ends up, she will be sure to have a positive impact!”

Smith is now the AUS nominee for the national student-athlete community service award.

Read more about the other award winners and the championship this weekend.