"Raised to Give Back" - Jordan Allen is a Finalist for Brad Davis Award
Jordan Allen has a lot on her plate, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have time to give back. The senior equestrian is one of two Gamecock finalists for the SEC’s Brad Davis Community Service Post Graduate Scholarship.
“I was especially excited to get a community service nomination because I really pride myself on that,” said Allen who is studying public health and eventually plans to become a dentist. “Our community, especially in Columbia, has so much to give with so many non-profit organizations. It made me happy because I love doing community service, and I love being in the SEC. We’re the best conference by a landslide.”
Each of the SEC’s 14 schools nominates a male and female finalist for the Brad Davis Community Service Post-Graduate Scholarship, which guarantees they will receive assistance to apply to their post-graduate studies. One male and one female Davis Award finalist each receive a $10,000 post-graduate scholarship, provided by the SEC. The 26 remaining male and female finalists for the award receive a $5,000 post-graduate scholarship. Allen, along with fellow Gamecock nominee Wesley Sweatt from the baseball team, have to juggle a lot with classes and the demands of their sport, but finding time to serve the community is still a priority.
“It doesn’t feel like work. It feels like something you want to do.”
“I am so fortunate, and I live such a blessed life,” said Allen who will return for a fifth year next year to complete undergraduate coursework before going to dental school. “It doesn’t have anything to do with my financial situation. I have amazing parents and friends, and I’m lucky to be a student-athlete. I’ve been raised that you should always want to give back. My mom is the most giving person ever! She definitely inspired me to do the same.
“It doesn’t feel like work. It feels like something you want to do. I definitely enjoy it. I truly love children, so, anything we do with kids is fun for me. Gamecock Games was my favorite service event. We worked with kids with disabilities. It was the best thing ever! I also enjoy working with Meals on Wheels. I’ve done the driving and the packing. I just think it’s nice driving because you get to communicate with the people you help.”
Allen is also a member of South Carolina’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
“The way I think about community service is the way I think about leadership,” Allen said. “The best trait one can have is to be a leader. I have a lot of friends on different teams. That’s what S.A.A.C. is. It’s all the student-athletes coming together and trying to figure out how to better our program that is already so successful here at USC.”
The SEC Community Service Post-Graduate Scholarship was named for former Associate Commissioner Brad Davis, who succumbed to cancer on March 2, 2006. The award recipients are chosen by a committee of Faculty Athletics Representatives from the 14 SEC institutions.
