Carolina Athletics isn’t just about winning games. It’s about supporting scholars, building leaders, fostering community, and upholding values that have defined Tar Heel excellence for decades. Carolina student-athletes are among the very best of our University.

When we say they are resilient, we mean student-athletes like Patrick Anderson. When we say they are champions, we mean student-athletes like Erin Matson. When we say they are impactful, we mean student-athletes like the late Tylee Craft. When we say they are literal game-changers, we mean student-athletes like Mia Hamm.

Every year, hundreds of talented and bright young men and women come to Carolina to earn a degree, play their hearts out, and hopefully win a championship. Some will continue their careers in competition. And most will take the skills they learn on a team and in the classroom to grow a successful career in something other than sports.

Your support helps create their path, no matter what they choose to pursue. And for many, scholarships are the foundation of their transformative experience at UNC. Scholarships open the door to a world-class education and give student-athletes the opportunity to excel.

The Rams Club is proud to recognize this year’s recipients of two special scholarships made possible by the collective generosity of our donors: Sydney Barker, recipient of the Montross-Walsh Scholarship, and Gracie Bolick, recipient of the FORevHER Tar Heels Scholarship.

MONTROSS-WALSH SCHOLARSHIP

The Montross-Walsh Scholarship is awarded to a student-athlete who is a servant leader; one who is engaged in the community and embodies academic excellence, sportsmanship, loyalty, hard work, dedication and above all, service.

The award is named for two of Carolina’s most accomplished Tar Heels – Eric Montross and Sue Walsh. As championship-winning athletes, talented students, and dedicated community servants, these two former student-athletes embody what it means to be a leader and a Tar Heel.

Women’s Basketball’s Sydney Barker is the recipient of this year’s Montross-Walsh Scholarship. A Durham native, Barker enters her third season in Chapel Hill after initially joining the program as a walk-on in 2023. Off the court, Barker has been a fixture in the community and recently spent three weeks in Vietnam with Coach for College. Teaming up with student-athletes from universities across the United States and Vietnamese college students, Barker taught academic subjects, basketball, and life skills to children throughout the region.

FOREVHER TAR HEELS SCHOLARSHIP

FORevHER Tar Heels, an initiative led by The Rams Club and Carolina Athletics, celebrates and champions the women of Carolina Athletics. Donors and supporters of FORevHER Tar Heels provide opportunities through scholarships, facilities, team operational support, and professional and personal development.

Each year, the Rams Club awards the FORevHER Tar Heels Scholar Athlete to an outstanding student-athlete who exemplifies the core values of FORevHER Tar Heels. This award is presented to an athlete in a women’s program who demonstrates exceptional leadership in and out of competition, serves as a mentor to her teammates, and is a role model within her sport. The recipient of this award is a powerful advocate for women’s sports, passionate about advancing opportunities for women athletes, and dedicated to showcasing what FORevHER Tar Heels stands for.

Track & Field’s Gracie Bolick was selected as this year’s FORevHER Tar Heels Scholar Athlete in recognition of her dedication to advancing opportunities for women in sports to grow professionally. Gracie’s passion for financial education and mentorship inspired her to design and launch a financial literacy series for female student-athletes, connecting them with former athletes and women leaders in finance. She is a two-time recipient of the ACC Top-Six for Service Award, an All-ACC Academic Team honoree, and a recognized campus leader through the Carolina Leadership Academy and Team IMPACT, a national nonprofit serving children with serious illnesses.