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The Dallas Wilcox County Bama Club awarded $55,500 in scholarships to 14 area students to help them pursue their dreams at the University of Alabama next year.

James McNeill, scholarship chairman for the club, said that all but three of the students received a total of $4,500 each. The three other recipients were recipients of the UA Prestige Scholarship, which pays full tuition for four years and one year of housing. He said they were limited to $2,000 because of receiving that scholarship.

The recipients of this year’s scholarships are:

• Elizabeth Alford of Wilcox Academy.
• Aidan Barnes of Morgan Academy.
• Molly Bohannon of Morgan Academy.
• Shakevion Canty of Selma High School.
• Walter Gilmore of Morgan Academy.
• Jacion Hunter of Selma High School.
• Tamara Jones of Keith High School.
• Malaya Mabry of Wilcox Central High School.
• Adriana Reeves of Dallas County High School.
• Breanna Sturdivant of Selma High School.
• Shelby Brown of Selma High School.
• Will Lewis, a transfer from Shelton State Community College.
• Shonta Williams, a transfer from Wallace Community College Selma.

Since the inception of the club’s scholarship program, the club has awarded $475,000 in scholarships. And they have seen the endowment grow from the initial investment of $10,000 in the Sam Earl Hobbs scholarship to over $1 million with 14 different scholarship endowments.

“We’ve done quite well, and we want to continue growing,” McNeill said.

McNeill said they will likely have more scholarship money to award next year because they share a scholarship with the Houston, Texas, club.

Preston McGee, a former scholarship recipient and UA graduate in both 2023 for undergraduate and 2024 with his master’s degree, said don’t let where you come from limit what you can accomplish.

“A lot of people go out of Selma and Dallas County thinking,I’m from Selma; I can’t do anything,” McGee said. “Well, you have a former SGA president and plenty of other campus leaders that come right here from Selma and Dallas County. What I challenge you to do as you go to the university is to think about all that you’re going to do outside of class too.”

Brigie Kelley, regional admissions adviser for the undergraduate admissions office, encouraged students to branch out and meet other students from all over the country and world.

“You can make friends from all over,” said Kelley, who called herself a yankee. “You can make your Alabama community as big as you would like or as small as you would like. We have over 700 clubs and organizations on campus that I highly recommend people get involved in as much as you want.”

Anne Frances Pearce, a current Alabama freshman, suggested that students should find a way to make the university feel like “a smaller place.”

“UA hosts ‘get on board day’ every year in the fall and then one in the spring, and it’s a great way to find organizations that you love,” Pearce said. “It’s a great way to meet people and make lots of friends. Another thing would be learning how to work the bus system. I wish I knew that. I walked to class many days in the rain.”

Harrison Adams, a Selma native who graduated from UA in 2020 with an undergraduate degree and then again in 2023 with a law degree, served as Alabama Student Government Association president. He said he “enjoyed every minute” of seven football seasons as a student.

He encouraged the students to set themselves up for success. That included taking an easy course load as a freshman so they can learn how to adjust to college life.

“You set yourself up for success so much better that way because after your first semester, that’s the only thing you have to show for it,” Adams said. “When you’re looking for jobs and internships and co-ops after that first first year in school, that’s the only thing they have to see. So I think that’s a great first step to build a great solid foundation for yourself.”

Adams also encouraged students to show up to class because that is “50% of your success.” Setting goals each year in college is also another way to improve their chances of success. Making connections that will last a lifetime can also help well after graduation day.