Named after famous tennis professional Arthur Ashe, the award recognizes both athletic and scholastic achievement among university and college athletes. Ashe, the first African American ever selected for the U.S. Davis Cup team (1963), was an advocate for the teaming of athletic prowess and academic accomplishments.

Tirres, a graduate of Churchill High School, is a communications major. She is an active member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and volunteers in the community by feeding the homeless and organizing food drives.

St. Edward's University is an independent Catholic liberal arts university of 4,100 students in Austin. It was founded by the Congregation of Holy Cross.