May 17, 2010

This year there are two members of the larger Davidson community to be honored with the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award. For more than three decades, our first recipient has made extraordinary if not widely known contributions to the life of the College and to the broader Davidson community. The continuing vibrancy and increasing success of the Davidson Community Players is due to large extent to her energetic commitment to that treasured part of our community. As one nominator has said, "it would be hard to imagine our town and college without its presence." Our recipient stepped into the life of the Davidson Community Players when, as one nominator says, the "curtain [seemed to be] coming down on its final act" and transformed that community theater "into a revitalized new curtain going up."

Her gift for organizing, directing and inspiring people to work toward a common goal and her respect for each person's unique and individual offerings has attracted many townspeople and newcomers to this distinctive aspect of our community life. One nominator notes that although "She never sought the glitter of the footlights for herself," she has been "the coach, friend and confidant to at least two generations of area residents sharing her love of theater." She leads others through the power of her warm and encouraging spirit. As another nominator has said, "From set-painting to costuming, from make-up to lighting, from lead roles to supporting roles, everyone [has] received her caring, respect and appreciation." The effect of her gracious extends beyond the walls of the Davidson Community Players.

Many people in our community have found in her welcoming heart support for inner personal renewal at times of difficulty and challenge. Whether it is an international student having problems adjusting to life at Davidson, homesick students away from their loved ones for the first time, or adults who are facing times of discouragement or sorrow, many in our college and town have found in her a source of encouragement and strength. As a nominator has said, "She has never called attention to herself. It has never been ‘about her.' It has always been about those she served." As one among us written of her: "Unselfishly, lovingly, and with skills both broad and deep, she has embodied the spirit that makes Davidson at its best an example of what it means to be a community."

Our first community recipient is Pamela Stephenson