DAVID BRANTON

David is a senior at Northside Methodist Academy in Dothan, Alabama. He is a busy teen-ager who has to balance his schoolwork and extra curricular activities. David also makes serving a priority. He is co-president of the Youth Council that includes approximately 50 ninth through 12th graders in the Dothan-Houston County area. In addition, he is mascot for the Dothan-Houston County Substance Abuse Partnership at local functions.

David is involved because he has genuine concern for family, friends and his neighborhood. In seeking local change through governmental involvement, David has served as a county team leader for the Bob Riley for Governor Campaign. He was also among the members of the Birmingham-Southern College Model Senate, where he received the Outstanding Senator Award. His participation in government programs at his school has been wide through his first three years there and has given him the background needed for affecting governmental rulings.

David is also a part of Mothers Against Drunk Driving’s State Youth Advisory Board and helped the board establish its mission, “to prevent underage drinking, to reinforce the consequences of alcohol use and to provide peer support and education throughout Alabama.” David is president and founder of his school’s Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), Red Cross volunteer and Flowers Hospital Teenage Volunteer team leader. David is also director of the organizational oversight committee and an active member of Habitat for Humanity. Because of his dedication to Habitat, he was honored as Habitat for Humanity’s Most Outstanding Salesman.

Hundreds of elementary aged children also know David as “Drug-Phrey” the dinosaur. He works with the substance abuse partnership in spreading its anti-alcohol, tobacco and drug message. David has volunteered his time and talents in a number of projects. Among the most recent activities is taking a youth leadership role in the efforts of the Coalition for a Tobacco-free Houston County. The coalition is seeking to abolish the use of tobacco products in city and county restaurants, and David recently spoke to city and county leaders during the first community forum on the subject.

Davis also participated in the Summer Scholar Program at Birmingham-Southern College. He lived on campus for a period of seven weeks and had to take two classes in addition to participating in numerous extracurricular activities. He was a junior in high school but taking college classes, and David did well in both of the classes he took. The classes were the main focus of the Summer Scholars; however, they had the opportunity to also participate in service projects. Because of his participation in extra projects and his excellence in the classroom, David is on a short list of Summer Scholars who will be considered for one of three scholarships to the school.