Top 10 College Women 2014: Jude Schimmel

Fantastic, funny, fearless, hardworking, heartwarming, kick-ass, incredible-- there are not enough adjectives in the English language to describe the winners of our 57th annual college-achievement competition.

The basketball star on (and off) the courts: Jude Schimmel, 20

University of Louisville, sociology major

At age four Schimmel started shooting hoops with her big sister, Shoni, on the courts of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, where she grew up. She and Shoni remained unstoppable as teammates through high school (their mom was the coach), and this past season the sisters helped lead the University of Louisville Lady Cardinals to a 30-4 record. Last spring Schimmel was honored at the Final Four for her 3.73 GPA, the highest of all the players in the tournament; she spent the summer visiting more than 18 reservations, speaking to Native American kids about higher education. "I'll never forget where I come from," she says. "I want to show my five younger siblings and my community that it's possible to live their dreams." Kelly Ripa, who coproduced a documentary on the Schimmel family, calls her "an inspiration."

See all of this year's Top 10 College Women winners »