LATHAM, N.Y. – Thanks to her outstanding combination of athletic and academic success, as well as her service to her campus and surrounding communities, Penn State Harrisburg's Kendis Butler has been named the inaugural United East Women's Basketball Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Introduced for the 2022-23 season, the senior scholar-athlete award is one of the highest individual honors the conference bestows. The award is granted to one senior from each sport who represents the epitome of the student-athlete model thanks to their high level of performance on the court, in the classroom, and in their community.
The most-decorated player in program history, Butler completed her illustrious career as the NCAA Division III active leader in 3-point field goals. The senior ranked 19th across all three NCAA divisions with 295 career triples and her 3-point total ranks her 26th all-time in Division III history. The York, Pa. native was named a 2023 Jostens Trophy finalist, becoming the first player in school history to earn the prestigious distinction. The versatile guard was tabbed a City of Basketball Love (CoBL) All-Area Second-Team selection a year ago and she recently became the first player in program history to earn all-conference accolades on three occasions, securing a pair of United East All-Conference First-Team honors to go along with a second-team moniker. Earlier this season, the versatile guard became Penn State Harrisburg's all-time leading scorer (1,277 points) and she holds numerous program records, including career field goals (382), career 3-point field goals, points in a single season (424), points in a single game (33), and 3-pointers in a single contest (10).
"Kendis Butler's career is a story of perseverance, or the will inside a player that started from a very young age and culminated this season in both individual and team success," said Penn State Harrisburg head coach Ross Patrick. "Kendis' growth as a player from a small school into one of the nation's top 3-point shooting threats is representative of her work ethic and determination."
A three-year team captain, Butler has also been outstanding in the classroom throughout her career. She recently joined teammate Jayla Galbreath as the first players in program history to earn College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District accolades thanks to their combination of athletic and academic success. She's garnered four straight conference all-academic awards dating back to her rookie campaign and is on pace to earn a fifth following the conclusion of the 2022-23 academic year. She serves as the student representative to Penn State Harrisburg's Faculty Athletics Senate Committee and has contributed to four CSC Publication & Digital Design award-winning graphics as a student-worker for the sports information department. The Communications major and American Studies minor currently holds a stellar 3.96 cumulative GPA and is set to graduate in May.
"Navigating the college basketball journey up to and through your senior season requires a physical and emotional durability," Patrick continued. "Add in a rigorous academic schedule, the time management of various jobs on and off campus, and a combination of community outreach and campus leadership positions, and that only begins to scratch the surface of responsibilities that Kendis has successfully balanced throughout her years at Penn State Harrisburg."
Penn State Harrisburg's Student-Athlete Leadership Council Chair (SALC), Butler is also a member of the United East Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). This past fall, she helped aid a Ukrainian refugee family that relocated to Enola, Pa. following the Russian invasion of the country by helping clean and renovate a house to be move-in ready, collecting and moving in furniture, and painting bedrooms. In January, she helped organize an assembly at nearby Susquehanna Township Middle School in which Penn State Harrisburg student-athletes mentored at-risk students hoping to play sports in college. In February, she spearheaded a canned food drive that collected more than 160 items for the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank and Penn State Harrisburg's on-campus food pantry. In each of the past two years, she joined fellow Penn State Harrisburg student-athletes in visiting nearby Middletown Area elementary schools and reading to students on National Read Across America Day. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she led an initiative to design and distribute handwritten greeting cards to senior citizens quarantined at a local retirement home.
"Kendis is a great example of how the co-existence of student-athlete and time management can create a significant impact on your team, campus, and local communities," added Patrick. "We are proud of all Kendis has accomplished during her time at Penn State Harrisburg and I can't wait to see the positive impact she makes on others in her personal and professional future."
Fans can keep up with Penn State Harrisburg Athletics all season long on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube using the handle @pshbgathletics.