Loyola-Chicago Celebrates Sister Jean's 100th Birthday
Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt celebrated her 100th birthday on Wednesday.
In honor of her big day, the school hosted the Sr. Jean Birthday Wish Challenge in an attempt to raise $100,000 in 24 hours to endow the Worship, Work, Win fund for student athletic excellence and student-athlete welfare.
The birthday wishes poured in as well.
Last year, the university threw her a party on campus for her 99th birthday. Loyola-Chicago presented Sister Jean with a cake frosted in the team's maroon and gold colors with 99 candles.
NCAA.com's Andy Katz spoke with the Ramblers' team chaplain ahead of her birthday and asked her the secret to longevity.
"I eat well, I sleep well and hopefully I pray well," she said. "But I also know I have the genes of my father's family. He had five sisters and three brothers and they all lived beyond 95."
In 2018, the world fell in love with Sister Jean during Loyola-Chicago's improbable rise at March Madness. The Ramblers went on an incredible 14-game winning streak to reach the Final Four before losing to Michigan. Since then, she has received her own bobblehead, thrown out the first pitch at a Cubs game and become an NCAA tournament bracket expert.
