The motto of the Rotary Club of Carrollton Dawnbreakers is a simple, three-word phrase.

“Service above self.”

Building on its commitment to that mantra, the club – known locally as the Dawnbreakers Rotary Club – recently established an endowment with the University of West Georgia to fund scholarships for undergraduate students in the Richards College of Business.

“One of the things we’re really passionate about in our club is raising money and putting a majority of that money back into the community in some way,” said Adam Wilkins, who’s currently serving as president of the Dawnbreakers club. “With UWG being right in our backyard – and a majority of our members being business leaders in one way or another – a student in the Richards College of Business seemed like a natural fit for this endowment.”

Initial funding for the endowment was completed in July, and the first award recipients will be announced for the fall 2019 semester. Recipients will receive a monetary scholarship to help fund their education and will also be extended an opportunity for mentorship with Dawnbreaker Rotarians. Mentorship will be offered through invitation to club meetings, club community engagement activities and networking connections with club members.

Dawnbreakers Rotary held a check presentation event with university leadership earlier this month to formally announce the establishment of the fund and express its commitment to help develop future business leaders in the community.

“We are absolutely thrilled about the establishment of a new endowment through Dawnbreakers Rotary,” said Dr. Kyle Marrero, president of UWG. “The endowment represents our community’s commitment to transformative education opportunities and is a testament to community partnerships. But what the gesture means for our students is truly remarkable, as it will provide more opportunity for them to learn and thrive within their experiences at UWG and in the West Georgia community.”

One of the major benefits of endowing the scholarship at UWG was the ability to create a mentor relationship with the student who’s awarded the funds each semester, Wilkins said, with the club inviting the student to its meetings and mentoring him or her to choose an engaging career and provide support through the rest of his or her educational journey.

“In addition to the financial support provided by the scholarship, our students will receive valuable networking experience and the benefits that come from being mentored by members of Dawnbreakers Rotary,” said Dr. Faye McIntyre, dean of the UWG Richards College of Business. “We are fortunate to have such a wonderful civic club in our community, and they certainly live up to their motto of service above self.”

Wilkins said the club was attracted to the endowment option because of the long-lasting effect it can have on the students who pass through UWG.

“No matter how long we live, this scholarship will always be offered in the Richards College of Business under the Dawnbreakers name,” Wilkins said. “Every single year, someone new will have their lives changed by this. The members of our club have poured in so many hours raising funds and working to make this vision a reality, and it’s so rewarding to finally get to see their hard work pay off.”