BHS Grad Provides Shining Example of Hard Work at Purdue

Given her track record, it was hardly a surprise that Samantha Woods, a former Bolingbrook Lady Raiders basketball standout, has flourished since matriculating through the formidable high school basketball program years ago.

Now in her fourth year at Purdue University and a co-captain of the Boilermakers' women's basketball team, Woods is on track to graduate in 2012, and still embodies the same skill set—both personal and athletically—that made her a success while donning Bolingbrook's red and black jersey.

Now sporting a Boilermakers jersey, it is clear that the intelligence, determination, and willingness to work hard continues to serve Woods well in any arena she chooses to compete in.

Woods, who majors in chemical engineer, said she credits her former coach, Bolingbrook's Tony Smith, for preparing her for life beyond high school.

"Success in life is more than just flipping a switch on and off when one so desires," she said. "Coach Smith prepared me for adversity, the ability to fall, get back up and fight until I get what I want. He instilled the idea that it was all about heart.

Woods recalled a saying Smith used to say over and over: "Pain is temporary, pride is forever."

"Sam was one of the most responsible student athletes that has come through Bolingbrook High School," Smith said of Woods. "As her coach, I knew she was the type of athlete that once you gave her a direction, you did not have to watch over her to make sure it got done. She was mature enough to make sure it got done."

Smith said although plenty of things came easily for Woods—her ability to play basketball, for one—it was her ability to handle what did not come easily to her that impressed him.

The all-time winningest coach in Bolingbrook High School history said if Woods didn't get something right in practice, she'd go home and work on it and come back the next day with the drive to get it done right.

"She never cut corners. As a coach, you knew the job that she would do would be done well," he said. "Sam had a high expectation for herself and was very driven and wanted to make sure she was always on top of things whether it was in the classroom or on the basketball court.

"Sam made it a point to make sure she was doing very well on and off the court no matter how much time it took. She is a great example of what a true student-athlete should be."

Woods' grasp of hard work were learned through personal defeats.

She said the feelings that accompany winning are fleeting; whereas emotions evoked from a loss are motivating and often produce a better result.

Majoring in what is arguably one of the most difficult majors at a school that is recognized for its ability to churn out superior engineering students,Woods has learned additional lessons, juggling life as a student-athlete.

College life also came with a rude awakening, Woods said.

"A lot has changed since my freshman year," she said. "I’m not in a hurry to get out in a certain amount of time. I am setting aside sufficient time to receive a solid education foundation so when I leave here I will do well in my field."

Woods said when she first got to Purdue,  she was naive at best.

"I signed up for 17 credits thinking piece of cake," she said. "My coach questioned it and I said I had no problem in high school carrying a full load of honors classes and playing ball. I didn’t think college would be any different."

Woods said she found out the hard way that high school courses and college courses couldn't be more unlike. She was spending four hours studying for every hour in class, she said, and after a semester scratching by, she lessened the load to 14 credit hours.

Despite her jam-packed schedule, Woods also finds time to give back by volunteering on campus.

"Volunteering is important," she said. "My mother Donna is an example. She is fully committed to the high school basketball program without me being there. She’s really passionate about helping people like me and it makes her one in a million."

When asked why she’s such a staunch advocate for youth sports, Donna Woods said it's more a matter of giving back what she received years ago.

"If I could have foreseen what my daughter would have been like, I would not have changed anything," she said. "I’ve witnessed all the ways Tony and the girls basketball program at BHS can change a young girls life for the better.

"If I can some way help with that transformation for another girl then I’ll stay involved to get the job done."

Since arriving at Purdue, Woods has embodied that same spirit of volunteerism. She continues to help operate a campus-based summer engineering camps that aim to recruit more women and minorities.

Woods is also a member of the Big 10 Board for Purdue, representing and giving voice to approximately 500 student athletes who participate in a variety of collegiate athletics.

This summer Woods said she will focus squarely on her career. Her superior classroom efforts have yielded an internship with ConAgra Foods and, by all indications, Woods' performance will more than likely result in a job offer immediately following graduation.

Woods is quick to mention she could never have come this far without the love and support of her family.

"I have the most amazing four people in my corner," she said. "I call my dad for everything and he just listens. My mom and my Aunt Nancy come to every home game. They even drove all the way across county when we played UConn a couple weeks ago.

"And my brother is my rock. He’s completely relaxed not like me. Its the one thing I’m really working on." 

Based on past successes, Woods should be mastering the art of relaxation soon.