From a student in the classroom to a leader in the arena, Allison Riddle, an Auburn gymnast and a nursing senior, can add another accomplishment to her name — SEC Brad Davis Community Service Award winner!
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) award honors one male and one female student-athlete from each of the SEC’s 14 member institutions. The Conference recognized Auburn senior gymnast Allison Riddle and senior diver Conner Pruitt as the institution's SEC Brad Davis Community Service Award winners for 2021-22. Riddle, Pruitt and the other school award winners are also nominees for the Male and Female Brad Davis Community Service Leaders of the Year. The school winners will each receive a $5,000 post-graduate scholarship provided by the SEC. The scholarship is named for former Associate Commissioner Brad Davis, who succumbed to cancer in 2006.
Riddle was named to the 2022 SEC Academic Honor Roll, a distinction she has achieved every year since 2017. She has held several volunteer commitments including AUCON Community Outreach Camp volunteer (2021-2022), Ronald McDonald House volunteer (2017-2022), SEC Diversity and Inclusion Committee (2020-2021) and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) President (2020-2021). As SAAC president, she represented Auburn athletes to the SEC and NCAA. In conjunction with Auburn SAAC and the SEC, Riddle participated in Auburn athletes sponsored community service events such as Habitat for Humanity, Haddie’s Home, Campus Food Pantry, reading to elementary school students, and other service opportunities in the community.
She learned to juggle her busy schedule to accommodate both Auburn Gymnastics and her classes at the College of Nursing. “AUCON faculty worked with my coaches to schedule clinicals around meets, consistently going above and beyond to help us succeed. It was especially challenging when Auburn Gymnastics qualified to NCAA Nationals in Texas and my professors had to reschedule two weeks of school for me. I appreciate them all for their willingness to figure it all out. I would rate AUCON a 10/10.”
Born as a preemie, Riddle spent her early days in the NICU. On the advice of her therapist, she started gymnastics as a three-year-old, an activity that would enhance her development progress. She has been competing since she was 5. She is now working on her preceptorship at the Studer Family Children’s Hospital in Pensacola, Fla.
Her choice of a nursing career was influenced by several factors — her mom (who has a bachelor’s degree in nursing, works for a pharmaceutical company) and the nurses who took care of her lingering lung issues. According to Riddle who spent much of her time with nurses, “their positive influence on my life was substantial.”
Riddle’s plans are to work in Children’s of Alabama and then enroll in the graduate school for her DNP degree. “Working in the NICU has cemented my decision that pediatric nursing is my future. I would like to start my nursing career in the pediatric cardiovascular intensive care unit because I enjoy acute care and it gives me a good foundation for my future in nursing,” she added.
“Allie was always eager to learn, self-motivated and organized, which enabled her to balance her dual role as nursing student and athlete,” said Dr. Caralise Hunt, associate dean of academic affairs at the College of Nursing. “Her service to the college, university, and community are especially impressive considering her busy schedule. Her professors described her as caring and attentive to patients. She represented the College of Nursing with integrity and professionalism while here as a student athlete and I know she will continue to represent us well as a practicing nurse.”
CONGRATS to Allie Riddle! Thank you for serving Auburn Athletics and the Auburn community so well while on the Plains! The College of Nursing is proud of our students and their achievements both in and outside the classroom!
