On most mornings, Holy Family University senior Skyler Searfoss is awake hours before classes begin.

There is an intentional, disciplined rhythm to her days. They start earlier than most, not out of preference alone but necessity. Balancing academics, basketball, and a lifelong metabolic condition that requires careful control of her diet demands constant planning.

“I love getting up early and getting my stuff done,” she said. “With my diet, I have to get up even earlier to fuel myself before a workout.”

That quiet resolve has defined her time at Holy Family far beyond the basketball court, where she is a standout player, and has carried her to the distinction of being named the university’s 2026 valedictorian.

When Searfoss first arrived on campus from her hometown of Jim Thorpe, she was drawn not just by the opportunity to play basketball at the next level, but by something harder to quantify.

“When I was getting recruited, my coach would tell me about the family atmosphere,” she said. “I really felt it when I stepped on campus. I didn’t want to go to a big college where no one knows your name.”

Coming from a graduating class of just over 100 students, the transition could have felt overwhelming. Even the hour-and-a-half distance from home initially seemed far. But over time, that distance became something else entirely.

“I formed a family away from home,” Searfoss said.

Her academic path, like many students’, was not linear. Searfoss entered Holy Family as an education major, inspired in part by her father, a history teacher and coach. Coaching had always been part of her vision. But midway through her freshman year, she recognized that her interests were shifting.

“I realized education wasn’t for me,” she said, “and I switched to sports marketing and management.”

What followed was a deepening of purpose. Courses became more hands-on and immersive. In one class, she spent an entire semester analyzing how Gatorade builds and sustains its brand.

“That’s when I really started to see how if coaching didn’t work out, I’d love to go into marketing,” she said.

Professor Lori Peters, who took over the sports marketing program during Searfoss’s junior year, saw something distinctive in her right away.

“She is a strong leader, but an introverted leader,” Peters said. “Her words are intentional. If she says something, it’s been processed and considered. And people listen.”

That influence often played out in group settings, where Searfoss was frequently the only woman. Yet she never needed to command attention. She earned it.

“She knows when to be persuasive and when to step back,” Peters said. 

Searfoss’s leadership is just as evident to those closest to her.

“She is one of the most disciplined people I’ve ever been around,” said Taylor Hinkle, Searfoss’s roommate and teammate who’s also graduating this spring. “She’s not someone who feels like she has to be loud to lead. She’s consistent, she’s composed, and she’s always prepared. Being around her makes everyone else more focused because you know she’s already done the work.”

That same steadiness carried over to the court this season, helping Holy Family advance to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Division II women’s basketball tournament for the first time in program history. Searfoss was also named the NCAA Division II Elite Scholar-Athlete, awarded to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA among competitors — she carries a perfect 4.0. 

That level of discipline was not immediate. Searfoss recalls how her first year required significant adjustment — learning how to manage time, navigate college coursework, and care for her health while living away from home.

“I learned what works for me,” she said. “I love a routine and having a plan.”

That plan often lived in her Google calendar. Between classes, practices, study hall, and meals that required careful preparation, her days were tightly scheduled.

Travel posed one of the greatest challenges. Searfoss lives with phenylketonuria, or PKU, a lifelong metabolic condition that limits how her body processes protein and requires strict daily planning. Managing a highly restrictive diet on the road meant constant improvisation.

“It’s hard for someone with my diet,” she said. “I can only have 16 grams of protein a day. No chicken, eggs, meat. I would eat salad and french fries for every meal.”

Still, Searfoss adapted. She learned to advocate for herself, to ask for help, and to communicate openly with professors and coaches.

“I’m not afraid to say, ‘today is not my day,’” she said. 

Through it all, she maintained not just strong grades, but a sense of perspective.

“I’m a big stressor over a bad grade,” she said. “But I’ve learned to trust the process and stay the course.”

Now, as she prepares to graduate, that growth is culminating in one of the university’s highest achievements.

“It’s a great honor any time I get to represent this school,” said Searfoss, who will speak at Holy Family’s undergraduate commencement ceremony. 

Next year, she will remain at Holy Family to pursue her MBA in leadership while serving as a graduate assistant for the women’s basketball team, a first step toward her long-term goal of becoming a coach.

For Searfoss, the future is not a departure from what she has built. It is a continuation, grounded in routine, purpose, and a steady belief that progress follows persistence.

Learn more about Holy Family University and how it is guided by a values-based mission and serves as a vital anchor institution in Northeast Philadelphia and Bucks County.