The Troy Rotary Club selected Dawson Bradford as the recipient of its 2025 Nolan Hatcher Service Above Self Scholarship.

Scholarship applicants were graded in four different categories. Forty percent of the grade was based on evidence of the applicant’s community service, civic engagement, volunteer work experiences as well as scholastic and extracurricular activities. Applicants were also required to submit an essay describing their work in community service, which counted as 35 percent of the score. The final two categories assessed included 15 percent based on GPA and ACT scores and 10 percent based on letters of recommendation.

“It is an honor to receive this scholarship, and I’m deeply grateful to the Troy Rotary Club for this recognition and for your commitment to serving and strengthening our community,” Bradford said. “And thank you for believing in me and for investing in my future as a part of today’s program.”

Bradford graduated from Pike Liberal Arts School in May and was the valedictorian of his class and the 2025 Tip Colley Award winner. Bradford was an Alabama State Representative and Boys State Representative and was active in the Pike Liberal Arts Student Government Association.

Bradford also had more than 750 hours of community service documented in his scholarship application. Some of his volunteer work was done with Patriot Pals Mentoring Program, Operation Christmas Child, Outdoors with Friends, and the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary Mission Lab.

Bradford read his essay to the Rotary Club and summarized his experiences in volunteer work and community service.

“These experiences have taught me that service is not about recognition, it is about the impact,” Bradford wrote in his essay. “I often serve silently and hope not to be noticed, like when I cut a single mom’s or widow’s yard without their knowledge. Whether it is mentoring a child, volunteering at a local event, or stepping in to lighten the load at home, I believe that every act of service matters. I have grown in responsibility, empathy, and perseverance and I am confident that I will carry this passion for service with me throughout my life.”