Sydney Barker named the 2025-2026 recipient of the Montross-Walsh Scholarship

The Montross-Walsh Scholarship is a Rams Club sponsored award that is named in honor of Sue Walsh and the late Eric Montross. The duo of Walsh and Montross represent the best of what student-athletes have to offer as members of a Carolina community.

Being a student-athlete at North Carolina doesn't just focus on what happens on the field or on the court. These young adults are tasked with promoting academic excellence, sportsmanship, loyalty, hard work, and most of all, service to the community.

The recipient of the 2025-2026 Montross-Walsh Scholarship has been announced, as UNC women's basketball player Sydney Barker has earned the award.

Barker's journey thus far is simply an incredible story. Initially a walk-on for Courtney Banghart's team, Barker turned down other scholarship offers elsewhere to play college basketball, aiming to fulfill her dream of becoming a Tar Heel.

Since arriving on campus, Barker has made a profound impact on her team, teammates, the program, and the university as a whole. In recognition of her hard work and dedication, Barker was promoted from a walk-on to a scholarship player, showing just how valuable she's been to the team since her arrival.

Off the court, Barker is just as impactful. She's a leader throughout the Chapel Hill community and has taken advantage of every opportunity she can to help others, including taking a three-week trip to Vietnam to teach students academic subjects, basketball, and life skills.

In the video below, you'll see Courtney Banghart announce this big news. Banghart speaks very highly of Barker, and her teammates' reaction to the news tells you all you need to know.

The way her teammates celebrated her success just goes to show how much they love and admire her, another example of just how much of an impact she's made on her community.

Sydney Barker is the epitome of what it means to be a Tar Heel, as she is highly deserving of this prestigious honor.