From AHSAA
Three area student-athletes were among 104 regional winners of the 2015 Bryant-Jordan Student-Athlete scholarship awards.
Glencoe High School’s Hope Bishop was named the Class 3A Region 6 Achievement winner, Westbrook Christian’s Ali Porter was selected as Class 3A Region 6 Scholar-Athlete winner and Southside’s Lindsey Hindsman was chosen as the Class 6A Region 7 Scholar-Athlete winner.
A total of 52 seniors, eight each from the AHSAA Classes 1A through 6A and four in Class 7A, were selected as Scholar-Athlete regional winners and 52 were chosen in the Student-Achievement division. Each student selected was nominated by his or her respective high schools.
All 104 regional winners will be recognized at the 2015 Bryant-Jordan Banquet set for April 13 in Birmingham. Each regional winner will receive a $2,500 scholarship, with class winners receiving an additional $3,000 scholarship. The overall Larry D. Striplin, Jr. Scholar-Athlete and the overall Ken and Betty Joy Blankenship Achievement Award state winners will receive an additional $3,000 each.
For the first time since 1988, the total number has expanded from the previous 96 total. Eight additional student-athletes will be recognized due to the addition of Class 7A, which has 32 total schools, by the AHSAA this school year. Approximately 60-64 schools comprise each of the other six classifications.
A committee of school principals chose the area winners and a committee of school administrators in each region then selected the regional winners. A statewide committee comprised of school administrators and state business leaders will select the overall winners.
Regional winners are also eligible to receive several other scholarships that will be awarded by 13 Alabama four-year colleges and 13 Alabama community colleges participating in the program, including Auburn University, Auburn-Montgomery, Jacksonville State, Miles College, Samford, Troy University, University of Alabama, University of Alabama-Birmingham, University of Alabama-Huntsville, Montevallo, North Alabama, South Alabama, West Alabama, Bevill State, Calhoun, Central Alabama, Chattahoochee Valley, Gadsden State, Jefferson State, Lawson State, Northeast Alabama, Northwest-Shoals, Shelton State, Snead State, Wallace-Dothan and Wallace State.
Several special scholarships are also presented annually, including the Dr. Gaylon McCollough Medical Scholarship ($2,500) earmarked for a selected regional winner who plans to go into the medical field, and the Herman “Bubba” Scott Coach’s Scholarship ($2,500) given to a selected regional winner who plans to go into teaching and coaching. The Auburn Football Lettermen and the University of Alabama “A” Club Educational and Charitable Foundation also present scholarships to selected regional winners who plan to attend either Auburn or Alabama, respectively. The Auburn Lettermen present two $2,500 scholarships while the Alabama “A” Club presents scholarships totaling $12,000.
In addition, each school that has an individual classification winner will receive a $2,000 cash award. Approximately $1 million in scholarships are awarded annually in the nationally acclaimed program named for legendary football coaches Paul “Bear” Bryant and Ralph “Shug” Jordan. The program began in 1986 as a project of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and the AHSAA and is now in its 30th year.