College of Saint Elizabeth alumna Diane Da Silva, ’11, is one of 30 women selected as the top honorees for the NCAA Woman of the Year award. Each NCAA membership division chose 10 honorees who were nominated by conference and independent members and represent multiple sports. Three finalists will be chosen from each division to form the nine finalists for the Woman of the Year award. Da Silva was selected as the College of Saint Elizabeth and North Eastern Athletic Conference nominee. The national winner will be chosen by the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics and will be announced in an October 16, 2011, ceremony in Indianapolis.
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must have completed intercollegiate eligibility in her primary sport by the end of the 2011 spring season, graduated no later than the end of the summer 2011 term, and achieved a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.5. The award honors female student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in academic achievement, athletics excellence, community service, and leadership.
Da Silva has done all that and more. Committed to service and a strong student leader, Da Silva spent a lot of her time at CSE volunteering. As a leader, Da Silva was the president of the Student Government Association and the president of the Class of 2011. She was an active member in the College’s Leadership Program and an academic peer leader. Da Silva was a community assistant for the Residence Life division for two years where she was responsible for resident safety, emergency response and programming.
In 2011, Da Silva was named the Morris County Woman of the Year for her service to the community. On campus, Da Silva remained busy. In 2011, she ran a “Drench a Dean” fundraiser for the Be the Change, Save a Life Foundation in Africa. In 2009 and 2010, Da Silva volunteered at the New Jersey Battered Women’s Shelter to collect and to distribute hygiene products for women and children. In 2010, she spent more than 16 hours in the Community Soup Kitchen to cook, clean and organize.
Da Silva was a member of the Association for Independent Colleges and Universities of New Jersey to help lobby and testify for Equal Opportunity Funding and Tuition Aid Grant funding within the state. In addition, Da Silva was a planning committee member of the American Conference on Diversity of New Jersey to help promote diversity within the work place and higher education.
Academically, Da Silva received one of the highest honors bestowed upon a graduating senior, the CSE Sister Hildegarde Marie Mahoney Award for General Excellence given to a student in high academic standing and who has demonstrated campus and civic leadership. Da Silva was a member of three honor societies and is listed in Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. She graduated with a 3.73 cumulative GPA and was a Dean’s List student.
Da Silva’s determination did not stop in the classroom and in fact carried over to a successful athletic career.
A tri-sport athlete, Da Silva was a four-year starter on the CSE Screaming Eagles' soccer and basketball teams. When the College of Saint Elizabeth added lacrosse for the 09-10 season Da Silva started on defense. She was the soccer team and basketball team captain for the 2010-2011 season. Da Silva was named the New Jersey Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (NJAIAW) Woman of the Year for 2011 for her dedication to athletics and success in the classroom.
Ranked 12th in Division III for assists per game and second in the conference with 5.82 during this past basketball season, Da Silva also ranks in the top-10 in the North Eastern Athletic Conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.20) and minutes-played (37 per game). In 2009-10, she was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Hilton Thanksgiving Tournament, and the season before, she received the Coach’s Award for basketball. She also received the Dorothy Donnelly Dedication Award for her commitment to athletics.
Sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, Convent Station, New Jersey, the College of Saint Elizabeth enrolls more than 2,100 full- and part-time students in more than 25 undergraduate, 10 graduate and one doctoral degree programs. For information on other activities or programs, visit the College of Saint Elizabeth web site at www.cse.edu.
