In a continuing effort to recognize the accomplishments of student-athletes beyond the field of competition, the SEC once again highlighted a Community Service Team for women’s basketball for the 2014-15 season. Texas A&M senior guard Tori Scott was named to the team for her contributions to the Aggies’ mentor program with Bryan ISD for elementary school children.
Scott has visited Bonham Elementary every week since October to read with school children, in her second year making visits to Bonham Elementary. She also spoke to the school children on the importance of staying in school as part of A&M’s 12 Days of Madness Campaign and made community appearances at First Friday in Downtown Bryan as part of the 12 Days of Madness campaign.
This marks the 17th year for the SEC Community Service Team for women’s basketball as well as for men’s basketball. All league-sponsored sports have had a Community Service Team since 2004, with at-large teams for men’s and women’s sports being chosen from 1999-2003. The SEC began this concept with a football Community Service Team in 1994.
Scott and the Aggies return to the floor tonight, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. in the team’s final regular season home game, against Missouri.
Nikki Hegstetter • Alabama
Junior • Forward • Kennesaw, Ga.
Habitat for Humanity… The Miracle League of Tuscaloosa… Alabama women’s basketball’s 5th Grade Fastbreak program… Volunteered at local high school basketball camps… Read to elementary school students… Talked with patients at the DCH Manderson Cancer Center… Spent time with residents of Capstone Village Retirement Community… Greeted veterans upon their return to Tuscaloosa from an Honor Flight from Washington, D.C.
Joey Bailey • Arkansas
Junior • Forward • Gunter, Texas
She spoke at the Red Ribbon Rally-about the dangers of drugs and alcohol… Sweat Hogs Salute to Excellence Program… Book Hogs Read to Win Program… Shop With the Razorbacks-SAAC… Lift Up America Program… She made a Visit to the Fayetteville Rehabilitation Center… Razorback Canned Food Drive… Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Day Activities Event… Reading With The Razorbacks… Book Hogs Pizza Party… Mayflower Tornado Relief Help… ALS Walk to Defeat Lou Gehrig’s Disease… Special Olympics Event area games… . Northwest Arkansas Heart Walk
Tra’Cee Tanner • Auburn
Junior • Forward • Birmingham, Ala.
Involved with “Expressions of a BraveHeart,” a program that provides arts and recreation opportunities for youth and young adults with moderate to severe disabilities… Volunteers regularly at Lee County Humane Society… Joined team to adopt Boykin Daycare Center in Auburn, spending time with the children and donating needed supplies to the center… Helped with a Habitat for Humanity build during the summer… Has helped stuff backpacks as part of the End Hunger Initiative in conjunction with the Jason Dufner Charitable Foundation… Volunteered at the East Alabama Food Bank during Thanksgiving week.
Brooke Copeland • Florida
Freshman • Guard • Cleveland, Tenn.
Brooke’s enthusiasm working with children in the Gainesville community is un-matched… She is one of the top Gator student-athletes this year for volunteering hours in the community… Brooke has spent several hours at Girls Place, where its mission is to empower girls to grow courageous, strong and self-sufficient. We inspire our girls to celebrate themselves—their minds, their hearts, and their physical well-being… Brooke has given tours of the stadium to area youth and spent hours at UF Shands Hospital’s infusion room, helping young patients pass the time during a very difficult and sometimes painful situation…. She spent an entire morning and afternoon volunteering her time with children at Climb for Cancer.
Erika Ford • Georgia
Senior • Guard • Alpharetta, Ga.
Coordinated student-athlete efforts for the Hunger Bowl, which raised $1000 and 1000 pounds of food donations… Coordinated student-athlete participation in Homeruns of Hometown Rivals, a baseball game involving Special Olympians played at UGA’s Foley Field baseball stadium… Took a pie in the face at the Special Olympics Prom to raise money… In addition, took part in the Lady Bulldogs’ annual bike build which provided bicycles at Christmas for 65 worthy children; the SOAR Race to benefit Special Olympics; writing holiday card to deployed troops; collected Toys for Tots donations; raised money for Relay for Life.
Bria Goss • Kentucky
Senior • Guard • Indianapolis, Ind.
Throughout her Wildcat career, Goss has been an active in the Lexington community, but in the summer of 2014, she took it to a different level, traveling to Ethiopia for a week-long service trip. Goss distributed necessities to victims of leprosy, accomplished minor home repairs to impoverished families, served food to prisoners, played games with orphans and spent a day building relationships with street boys. Additionally, Bria delivered beds and mattresses and bedding to several widows, most of whom had been sleeping on dirt floors on piles of straw… Goss has also volunteered locally, packing lunches for underprivileged students in the Lexington school systems for God’s Pantry, and hand-delivering them to schools… She has volunteered to stock clothes at Goodwill for countries with limited clothing and she helped make blankets for sick children at Kentucky Children’s Hospital.
Ann Jones • LSU
Junior • Forward • Memphis, Tenn .
Jones has participated in a variety of community service efforts which includes her work with the Big Buddy program where she volunteered at a local school to mentor youth…. Played a major role in the team’s participation in Thanksgiving with the Tigers, an event where each LSU athletic team adopts an underprivileged child for the holidays and welcomes the child along with his or her family to campus for a Thanksgiving style meal served by the student-athletes and games, activities, and gift exchanges… Jones and her teammates also spent time at the Halloween BOOzar which is an event that provides local children with a safe and fun Halloween experience playing games, getting candy and autographs, and interacting with their favorite LSU student-athletes…. Has volunteered with Alzheimer’s Services Walk/Run to Remember and the Arc of Baton Rouge where she played basketball with special needs children.
Gracie Frizzell • Ole Miss
Redshirt-Junior • Guard • Little Rock, Ark.
With her teammates Frizzell has done Reading With the Rebels, going into elementary schools in Oxford-Lafayette county and reading to elementary school classes… Frizzell has also teamed her teammates to play bingo and other games with residents at Oxford’s Graceland Care Center… Spent an afternoon in the fall helping to build walls on a house under construction with the Oxford – Lafayette County Chapter of Habitat for Humanity… In conjunction with the Ole Miss Athletic department, helped with tornado relief for Columbus, Miss, who was hit with deadly tornadoes over the holidays… In the summer months, helped with basketball clinics with the Horizons Learning Program on the Ole Miss campus, to promote summer learning and retention for local Oxford youth… Regularly helps with Ole Miss postgame clinics and autograph signings.
Savannah Carter • Mississippi State
Senior • Guard • Tulsa, Okla.
Made an immediate impact on the community since arriving on campus two years ago… One of MSU’s representatives on the school’s Student-Athlete Advisory Council… A member of MSU’s M-Club, Carter regularly visits area schools to speak to students… She has been actively involved in State’s Bully’s Book Blitz, an initiative that encourages local students on the importance of reading… Carter has also volunteered to assist with Starkville schools’ field day events, and she has been a guest speaker for the Starkville Boys & Girls Club… She joined her teammates the past two seasons and assisted at the City of Starkville’s Travis Outlaw Day… This past August she and her teammates had the opportunity to visit Serra Pearson, a Hatley High School student who was battling a rare illness, and present her an autographed basketball and a personalized Mississippi State jersey.
Morgan Eye • Missouri
Senior • Guard • Montrose, Mo.
A major contributor to Missouri’s team for the past four years, Morgan Eye is not only a major player on the court for the Tigers but also off the court. She has spent more than 101 hours serving in the community throughout her career at Mizzou… She is a member of Missouri’s Student Athlete Advisory Council and volunteers with Mizzou’s development department helping to thank donors to the university as well… Eye volunteers with the Boys and Girls Club of Columbia and has helped with the Ronald McDonald House Golf Tournament… She volunteered with the Adventure Club, working with children in an after school program… She volunteered at the Light it up Blue Autism Awareness event, and also spent time at local elementary schools reading to young students.
Elem Ibiam • South Carolina
Senior • Center • Fayetteville, Ga.
The most committed on the team to community outreach, doing many projects outside the work the team does as a whole… Spent time at local elementary schools being interviewed by students learning about journalism and as part of a panel about being a student-athlete… Served lunch to the homeless… Volunteered at several run/walk events for local charities… Helped with Sheriff’s Office event at local orphanage.
Cierra Burdick • Tennessee
Senior • Forward • Charlotte, N.C.
University of Tennessee DREAM Team, Captain and Founder, 2013-present… DREAM Team is a group of 12 student-athletes who are committed to being drug, alcohol, tobacco, and violence free while upholding a high standard of moral excellence on and off the playing surface… Water Angels Ministries, Mentor, 2014-present… Boys and Girls Republic of New York City, Coach, 2014… Hoops For Hope, Coach, 2011-14… Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Volunteer, 2014… Emerald Youth Foundation: Mount Zion Baptist Church, Counselor, 2013-14… Camp Montvale & Harmony Family Center, Public Speaker & Volunteer, 2013-14… UT Athletics VOLoween, Coordinator & Volunteer, 2012-14… Habitat For Humanity, Volunteer, 2011-13… Shannondale Nursing Home, Volunteer, 2012-13… Tennessee School for the Deaf, Volunteer, 2012… East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, Volunteer, 2012… Let’s Move, Boys & Girls Club, Volunteer, 2012.
Tori Scott • Texas A&M
Senior • Guard • Marrero, La.
Team has partnered with the Bryan School District to form a mentor program for elementary school children… Scott has visited Bonham Elementary every week since October to read with school children… This is her second year making visits to Bonham Elementary… Spoke to the children on the importance of staying in school as part of A&M’s 12 Days of Madness Campaign… Also made community appearances at First Friday in Downtown Bryan as part of 12 Days of Madness.
Kendall Shaw • Vanderbilt
Redshirt-Sophomore • Center • Mont Belvieu, Texas
Kendall has given hours and hours of time with the Nashville Dolphins — a special-needs swim team… She has also worked numerous events around the Nashville area, including a Halloween event at Harris Hillman School, where she escorted students on trick-or-treating around the campus… Worked the School Fair at Eakin Elementary and has also have done “class readings” at the school for the past two years… Took Teddy Bears (from Vanderbilt’s WBB’s annual Teddy Bear toss promotion) to Children’s Hospital.
Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics