Emily Madden, University of Dallas, Women's Basketball

EMILY MADDEN OF THE UNIVERSITY OF DALLAS, a sophomore guard on the women's basketball team, has been selected the SCAC Character & Community Female Student-Athlete-of-the-Week for the week ending January 13, 2013.

A native of Torrington, Wyo., Madden has helped the Crusaders compile a 5-1 record to begin the 2012-13 basketball season.

Madden is also a member of the softball team, Rotaract and MarketShare business clubs, and writes women’s basketball stories for the school newspaper UD News.

While attending Torrington High School, Madden was actively involved in a number of clubs and organizations.

“Coming from such a small community,” Madden said, “it was extremely important for me to give back because of the tremendous support that I received growing up.”

Madden joined “Step-Up Youth Coalition” her freshman year in high school.

In collaboration with “Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E),” the program strives to inform younger members of Torrington about the risks and dangers of drugs and alcohol.

“With drugs and alcohol being such an important issue,” Madden said, “I increasingly became adamant about convincing younger generations to remain drug and alcohol free, while also trying to make my hometown a safer environment.”

“As a little girl, my role model went to play NCAA Division I basketball, but that quickly ended when she paralyzed her right arm in a car accident caused by her decision to drink-and-drive.”

It became a bigger issue throughout Madden’s high school career, as five of her friends died in automotive accidents involving alcohol.

Aiming to make a profound impact, she has traveled to elementary schools as a D.A.R.E. Role Model and discussed issues concerning drug and alcohol abuse.

“I truly believe that talking to children at a young age about such an important thing will make an impact on their decisions as they get older,” Madden said. “If my story only convinced one child to remain drug and alcohol free, it was more than worth it.”