Sister Jean
Loyola of Chicago Men's BasketballOver her 101 years, Sister Jean has embodied Neil Young’s oft-repeated phrase: It’s better to burn out, than it is to rust. Never content to sit still, every day on campus she offers a joyous good morning to all she meets. Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt broke onto the national scene in 2018, when the Ramblers made it to the promised land of the Final Four. Everyone was curious about the remarkable woman sitting courtside, delivering every pregame prayer.
But it wasn’t always so. In 1994, Sister Jean pondered hanging up her habit before she was called to hoops duty, assisting athletes in navigating the rigorous academic path for which Loyola is known. When coach Porter Moser took over in 2011, he found a scouting report waiting for him on each player, courtesy of the 75-year young team chaplain. Of working with young people, Sister Jean says, “I think that’s what kept my heart young.” God willing, Sister Jean will keep ramblin’ on straight into another Final Four.