Captain Samantha Gouveia led the Griffins women’s soccer team to MacEwan’s historic first U SPORTS national championship last November. On Monday, she achieved another first in the storied history of MacEwan Athletics.

Gouveia became the first Griffins student-athlete to be named as one of U SPORTS’ Top 8 Academic All-Canadians – prestigious annual awards that honour the best of the best among student-athletes in the country.

“I’m honoured to receive this award on behalf of MacEwan,” said Gouveia. “Realistically, we’re all students before athletes. Although we want to strive for excellence in our craft, on the pitch, I also demand that of myself in the classroom. It’s a great moment because this just validates all the hard work I put in inside and outside the classroom.”

Gouveia joins Calgary Dinos basketball player Max Eisele as the women’s and men’s winners, respectively, put forward by the Canada West conference. 

A model of excellence in her studies since arriving at MacEwan in 2016, Gouveia is a four-time U SPORTS Academic All Canadian, maintaining a 4.0 GPA (out of 4.0) in a Bachelor of Arts program, which she graduated from with distinction in 2021. 

She was also the co-winner of MacEwan Athletics’ Top Academic Award in the Faculty of Arts and Science for the 2020/21 season – an honour given to student-athletes with the highest GPA in each faculty.

Her academic excellence has been achieved without sacrificing on-field performance as Gouveia proved she was one of the best players in the nation in 2021. 

MacEwan’s captain played every minute of every game during the season at the demanding centre-back position and led the Griffins to a historic U SPORTS national championship – the first in the university’s history. At the Cape Breton University-hosted event, she was named U SPORTS nationals MVP and also made the tournament all-star team.

These honours came after she was selected to the U SPORTS second all-star team and the Canada West first all-star team.

“Samantha leads her team by the incredible example she sets in the classroom, on the field and in the community, but what makes her so exceptional is her ability to connect with her teammates on a personal level,” says Griffins head coach Dean Cordeiro. “She is a big sister to everyone, ensuring each teammate feels supported and valued, creating a team atmosphere where everyone is able to be their best. Samantha is also the most humble member of the team, positive and calm under the most intense pressure, and a steadying presence that keeps her team focused.”

Outside of her academic and athletic pursuits, Gouveia also has a lengthy resume of community service – a long list which includes on-campus initiatives like Bell Let’s Talk, Griffs Do Good Deeds and Mask Up MacEwan. She has also donated many volunteer hours off campus, serving as a crisis responder for Canada’s Crisis Text Line, working at the Capital Care Kipnes Centre for Veterans and assisting with kayakers involved with the Paralympic Sport Association.

Her leadership set a championship culture for her team and allowed everyone to become the best they could be. She was a model of the three pillars of a MacEwan student-athlete – academics, athletics and community service.

“Our motto is Grand as a Griffin,” said Gouveia. “Those three pillars are right at the foundation. The whole understanding of what it takes to be a Griffin really encompasses those three elements. For me, I just want to be the best ambassador that I can be as a Griffin.”