LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - Hallie Dickerson, a sophomore on the 'Roo women's soccer team, has been selected the SCAC Character & Community Female Student-Athlete of the Week for the week beginning October 29. The SCAC Character & Community award honors the efforts of student-athletes who excel in the field of athletics, and also serve their campus and community.
Even before she arrived in Sherman, Dickerson was active not just in athletics but also throughout her community. Now a sophomore and two-year starter for the Austin College women's soccer team, Dickerson has demonstrated leadership beyond her years both on and off the pitch, evidenced by the more than 100 hours of community service she put in over the course of 2017.
That wasn't the first time Dickerson met that milestone, either. In 2015, 2016, and 2017, Dickerson was awarded a "Green Cord" community service award, and has continued to give back to her community in a variety of ways into 2018. Whether it's serving as a summer camp counselor or as the secretary for her sorority, Alpha Delti Chi, Dickerson is an active and involved member of the north Texas community.
Even during her high school years, Dickerson volunteered at Glen Oaks Elementary, and at the Collin County Historical Society. This year, she's worked as a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and Sneed Restoration Prarie – an endeavor close to her heart as a biology and environmental studies double major.
Working with Sneed Restoration Prairie, which she discovered through her studies at Austin College, Dickerson works to clear invasive plant species and other smaller shrubs and trees. The goal of the project is to determine whether restoring the prairieland will help the overall ecosystem, an ideal that seems to be working: Dickerson and her classmates have already noted more native birds and even some rarer species returning to the area.
Dickerson has also worked with Sherman's Women's Crisis Center, participating in fundraising efforts that began through her sorority. The goal for Dickerson and her sorority sisters is to help foster a safe environment for women looking to escape abusive family environments, and as Dickerson puts it, "break that family cycle of abuse and violence."
A Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Academic Honor Roll member, Dickerson has started as a defender in 29 of the 31 games in which she's appeared in two seasons for the 'Roos.