The Troy Exchange Club held its 34th Annual J.O. Tip Colley Awards Banquet at the Pike County Cattleman’s Building on May 20 with this year’s male and female scholarship winners being Pike Liberal Art’s Dawson Bradford and Charles Henderson’s Sarah Taylor. 

The award is presented annually to a senior student-athlete in Pike County in honor of the late Dr. J.O. “Tip” Colley and goes to both male and female students that embody what the Troy Exchange Club emphasizes that Colley stood for: faith, academic, athletics and community.   

“We’re honoring the best of the best,” Exchange Club member Jerry Miller said. “These students have excelled not only in academics, not only in athletics, not only in community involvement but also in their faith and leadership. Very rarely does the best athlete win this and very rarely will it necessarily be the best scholastic candidate. We try to honor the students that are well-rounded in all of those areas. Just to be nominated, you’ve already demonstrated a successful approach to life.”

A total of 27 student-athletes from Charles Henderson High School, Pike County High School, Goshen High School, Pike Liberal Arts School and New Life Christian Academy were nominated this year. Student-athletes are nominated by coaches, teachers or administrators. From Charles Henderson, Addison Armstrong, Bennett Holmes, Cody Cross, Cole Pugh, Eavie Kate Lindsey, Gabby Gandy, Jada Jones, Kameron Johnson and Sarah Taylor were nominated. From Goshen, Szemerick Andrews, Abigail Ellerman, Marcell Newsome, Parks Snyder and Joshua Terry were nominated. Chloe Thomas from New Life was nominated, while Khalil Foster, Mackenzie Gregory and Sameeria Isaac were nominated from Pike County. Dawson Bradford, Alissa Barron, Luke Barron, Joy Schwarte, Michale Vaughn, Pruitt Vaughan, Kade Brookins, Sydney Scott and Allyn Wilson from Pike Lib were nominated.

A male and female winner received a $1,500 cash scholarship, while a female and male runner-up received $500 awards and male and female third place winners also received $250 awards. 

Each nominee was honored during the banquet and Troy Football Coach Gerad Parker also brought a message to the student-athletes nominated. A part of Parker’s message to the young men and women sitting in the audience was the importance of having impactful people around you. His example of this was Troy Basketball Coach Scott Cross, whose son was nominated for the Tip Colley Award.

“I had just met (Cross) and his wife, and (the football team) went through a really tough start,” Parker recalled. “My best moment of the season was (Cross) standing at the doors of our lockerroom when we beat Coastal (Carolina) at the end of the year to give me a hug. I barely knew him at that time. You need people that go through what you go through, wives and coaches, to be able to fight the fight.”

One of Troy Football’s mottos is “truth lies in the work.” Parker said that more than 10 years ago a friend of his gave him a poem about work that still sits on his desk to this day, as a reminder.

“If you are poor, work. If you are burdened with seemingly unfair responsibilities, work,” Parker continued. “If you are happy, work. Idleness gives room for doubts and fears. If disappointments come, keep right on working. If sorrow overwhelms you, and loved ones seem not true, work.

“If health is threatened, work. When faith falters and reason fails, just work. When dreams are shattered and hope seems dead, work. Work as if your life is in peril. It really is. No matter what ails you, work. Work faithfully and work with faith. Work is the greatest remedy available for both mental and physical afflictions.” 

The third place scholarship recipients for this year’s Tip Colley Awards were Pike Lib’s Alissa Barron and Michael Vaughn. The runner-ups this year were Pike Lib’s Luke Barron and Charles Henderson’s Jada Jones. The winners were Pike Lib’s Dawson Bradford and Charles Henderson’s Sarah Taylor.

Bradford is the valedictorian for Pike Lib and will attend the University of Alabama. He’s also a captain of the Pike Lib baseball, football and basketball teams.

“It makes me feel very accomplished,” Bradford said of winning the Tip Colley Award. “I feel like it took a lot of hard work and it paid off in the end.” 

Bradford’s older brother, KC Bradford, also won the Tip Colley Award his senior year. His mother, Melissa (Thompson) Bradford, was also the very first female winner of the award. Dawson Bradford jokingly said it felt good to match his older brother.

“I was a little worried there, I got nervous,” he said with a laugh. “My leg was jumping up and down but it all worked out and I’m happy about that.” 

Dawson Bradford also talked about what it meant to be honored by the Exchange Club.

“This means a lot to me, especially as a Christian,” he said. “I think this whole program – and what the Exchange Club is doing honoring all these nominees – is great. All the nominees here are great people that work hard in everything they do and are dedicated and put everything they have into everything. It’s just a great thing to honor all of these people.”

Taylor is also the valedictorian at Charles Henderson and is an All-American Cheerleader along with being a member of the CHHS flag football and soccer teams. She will also attend the University of Alabama. 

“It made me feel amazing and also very recognized for all the hard work I’ve done,” Taylor said. “I’m grateful for this program that is showcasing all these young men and women for how hard they’ve worked throughout their high school years.” 

Taylor is also a recipient of the regional Bryant-Jordan Academic Achievement Scholarship and is also the recipient of the PEO STAR Scholarship. 

“All of those days where I was wishing I was going to hang out with my friends but I chose to study instead, or do that community service activity, is all paying off,” Taylor said. “I’m very appreciative of that recognition.”