April 21, 2011
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Senior Aggie women's tennis player Stephanie Davidson was one of four Texas A&M students to receive the prestigious Margaret Rudder Service Award, announced at the Parents' Weekend All-University Awards Ceremony on Sunday.
The Margaret Rudder Community Service Award recognizes and awards those who significantly impact their community and, as a result, are themselves impacted by their contribution.
Davidson, a sports management major from Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas, is active in Aggie Athletes Involved (AAI) and is vice president of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). This past fall, she gave more than 100 hours serving as co-chair of 2010 AAI Aggies CAN, the largest student-athlete run food drive in the nation which resulted in the collection of a record $15,160 in addition to 3,485 pounds of canned food to benefit the Brazos Valley Food Bank.
Davidson was unable to attend the ceremony, as she was competing at the University of Nebraska and helping lead the Aggies to a victory against the Cornhuskers, but she said in a prepared statement: "In my opinion, community service is not just something you do, it's something you have an innate passion for."
According to the Department of Student Activities, which administers the annual award, "Mrs. Rudder, wife of James Earl Rudder who was president of Texas A&M University from 1959-1970, served the university and the community from the 1950s until her passing in 2004. She was a role model, committed to the betterment of the university and the community, and service to others was important as she sought to improve our society. Mrs. Rudder had high ideals of service and integrity, and exemplified those ideals in her daily life."
An endowment for the Margaret Rudder Community Service Award was established in 1997. It is designed to inspire student volunteerism on a continual basis, encouraging the utilization of various service organizations and the Leadership and Service Center, which strives to empower students and staff to become effective leaders and active citizens.
Earlier this year, Davidson was selected to the Big 12/Chick-fil-A Winter Community of Champions. During the fall, winter and spring terms, the Big 12, in conjunction with Chick-fil-A, honors one student-athlete from each institution based on the following criteria:
• Academics: An academic standard of a 3.00 grade point average or higher must be maintained.
• Community Service: The designated student-athlete should be involved with at least one community service program. The program(s) could be a student organization on campus or within the athletics department.
• Leadership/Sportsmanship: The student-athlete should demonstrate leadership and sportsmanship on and off the field.
On the court, Davidson leads the Aggies (13-7, 6-4 Big 12) in doubles victories with a 22-10 mark in 2010-11, including 15-5 in dual matches only. She is 95-43 in her career, ranking fourth in the A&M all-time records for most doubles victories. She needs five more wins to move into a tie for third with former Aggie All-American Jessica Roland (2001-04).
Davidson and fellow senior teammates Morgan Frank and Christi Liles will be honored Friday at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center prior to the Aggies' season home finale against Texas Tech. The senior ceremony will begin at approximately 5:45 p.m. and first serve is slated for 6 p.m.
It will also be 12th Man Day at the match, and all current A&M students will be admitted free by showing their student ID.