Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is mourning the loss of Lindsey Schmidt, a beloved Academic Advisor in Athletics, who died on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, following a traffic accident.
For nearly two decades, Schmidt was a cornerstone of SIUE’s student‑athlete success program. Since joining the department in April 2008, she worked tirelessly to ensure that athletes thrived not only in competition but also in the classroom. Her guidance helped shape one of the nation’s most respected academic support systems, where achievement and personal growth were celebrated side by side.
Schmidt brought her own experience as a student‑athlete into her work. She played volleyball at the University of Tennessee at Martin from 1999 to 2003, starting all four years and helping lead the team to multiple Ohio Valley Conference titles. Her performance earned her Most Valuable Player honors in the 2002 OVC tournament. She graduated with a degree in Psychology in 2003 and later completed her master’s in Sports Exercise & Behavior at SIUE in 2009, blending athletic discipline with academic expertise.
Before arriving at SIUE, Schmidt gained valuable professional experience in roles that deepened her understanding of youth and community support, including positions with Missouri MERS/Goodwill, the Missouri Division of Youth Services, and St. Anthony’s Medical Center in St. Louis. These early chapters prepared her to meet the complex needs of student‑athletes with empathy and skill.
At SIUE, Schmidt’s influence was far‑reaching. She advised athletes on course planning, career development, leadership training, and compliance, while also helping them navigate campus resources. Working closely with Deputy Athletic Director Jaci DeClue for 17 years, she played a central role in building a program that earned national recognition. In 2024, her dedication was honored with the Ohio Valley Conference Thurston Banks Award for Distinguished Academic Service.
Her leadership contributed to an extraordinary streak: 39 consecutive semesters in which SIUE student‑athletes maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. That commitment to excellence culminated in November 2025, when SIUE achieved the highest Graduation Success Rate among all Division I public universities. Schmidt also launched the Leadership Development Academy, an initiative that gave athletes tools to strengthen their leadership skills and team dynamics.
Her passing leaves a deep void in the SIUE community. Yet her legacy endures in the thousands of student‑athletes she guided, the programs she helped build, and the culture of compassion and excellence she reinforced. Lindsey Schmidt’s life stands as a testament to the power of mentorship, dedication, and kindness—qualities that will continue to inspire SIUE Athletics and the wider university for years to come.
