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Sweatt's Desire to Help Others Makes Him a Finalist for Brad Davis Award

by Brad Muller

Student-Athletes don’t have a lot of free time between balancing the requirements for their academics and also juggling all of the demands for their sport. That’s why it’s even more impressive when individuals stand out for their commitment to serving the community. South Carolina Baseball senior Wesley Sweatt is one of two Gamecock finalists for the SEC’s Brad Davis Community Service Post Graduate Scholarship because of his desire to help others.

“It’s great to be able to represent the baseball team and the Athletics Department in a way that involves serving other people,” said Sweatt, who will graduate in May with a degree in information technology. “I believe that serving and giving back to the community is something that allows the community to grow and come together. I’m a Christian and a man of faith. I believe that serving others is what God has called us here to do, and I’m glad to be able to do it.”

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.

“I want to get my MBA from Darla Moore School of Business,” Sweatt said. “I want to do the one-year program there next year, so I’m looking forward to that. I love the game of baseball, and it will definitely be part of my life for a long time, even if I’m not playing. I want to coach.”

“We have off days at least once per week, so on days like that, you can find time to help the community.”
Wesley Sweatt  . 
SWEATT

In addition to a full load of classes, student-athletes have to balance practice, weight training, film study, travel, games, and sometimes other commitments involving their sport, but Sweatt makes it a priority to find time to serve.

“It can be tough, especially during the season when your focus is on your sport, but you can make time,” Sweatt said. “We have off days at least once per week, so on days like that, you can find time to help the community.”

Sweatt has volunteered at a wide variety of places and also serves as a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

“Going to Harvest Hope Food Bank and mentoring and working with kids at Busbee Middle School was really good,” Sweatt said. “I like working with kids. Going to Oliver Gospel Mission homeless shelter was a really good experience as well. They do a really good job over there.

“S.A.A.C. is important to me as well because it’s a leadership committee and it allows the student-athletes to help with the culture within the Athletics Department. It helps to discover ways to bring them together.”

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.