HILTON HEAD, S.C. – Soccer's Alexis Hurd was named the 2018 recipient of the SunTrust Foundation Minority Graduate Scholarship on Tuesday evening at the Peach Belt Conference's annual awards dinner in Hilton Head, S.C. It is the sixth time in as many years that a UNCP student-athlete has been presented with the scholarship.
 
A native of Jacksonville, Hurd played in 26 games (17 starts) over her four-year career in the Black & Gold and played a key role in UNCP's run to the 2017 PBC Championship. A three-time PBC Presidential Honor Roll selection, she was named to the 2016 PBC All-Academic Team as well. An active member of the UNCP Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), she was twice named to the Chancellor's List and earned a spot on the Honor's List on four occasions. She was also named to the Alpha Kappa Delta International Sociology Honor Society and the Alpha Phi Sigma National Criminal Justice Honor Society.
 
In addition to serving her campus as a M.O.R.E. Mentor for incoming freshman, Hurd completed an internship for the North Carolina Guardian ad Litem (GAL) in the spring of 2018. She graduated last month with a double major in criminal justice and sociology and a minor in terrorism, and has been accepted to the Charleston School of Law and will begin classes this fall.
 
"I believe that the legal profession is one that dedicates countless hours to helping others have a voice in our justice system," Hurd said. "It is my goal to learn, practice, and advocate for the people. I hope that the legal profession will ultimately allow me to have a career in service to the community."
 
The SunTrust Foundation is dedicated to SunTrust Bank's purpose of Lighting the Way to Financial Well-Being by engaging organizations to advance financial confidence. Grants and activities focus primarily on financial empowerment, but also include education, health and human services, civic improvement and cultural growth. The SunTrust Foundation supports American Red Cross disaster relief efforts and contributes as a United Way Global Corporate Leader. Established in 2008, the SunTrust Foundation has proudly provided grants totaling more than $128 million throughout the United States.
 
"Education is a key part of the foundation on which strong communities are built, and supporting educational initiatives is among the ways SunTrust helps light the way to financial well-being for our communities and our clients," said David Camden, President of SunTrust Bank, Savannah Region. "We are pleased to partner with the Peach Belt Conference in awarding this scholarship to Alexis Hurd in recognition of her excellence in the classroom and on the field."