NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt student-athletes Sonya Macavei and Mustafa Dannett were announced Thursday as the university’s nominees for the Southeastern Conference’s Brad Davis Community Service Award.
The SEC Community Service Post-Graduate Scholarship is named for former Associate Commissioner Brad Davis, who succumbed to cancer on March 2, 2006. He had been a member of the SEC staff since 1988, first serving as an assistant commissioner until 1994 when he was promoted to associate commissioner. School winners will each receive a $7,500 post-graduate scholarship provided by the SEC and are nominees for the male and female Community Service Leaders of the Year, to be announced later in May, with each receiving a $15,000 post-graduate scholarship provided by the SEC.
Macavei, who has served as president of Vanderbilt’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee as well as co-chair of the organization’s social impact committee, has been a regular volunteer before and after school at Jones Paideia Elementary School the last two-plus years, participated in the Anchorthon Big Event multiple times since 2024 and took part in the Metro Nashville Public Schools Book Buddies event in January. Since enrolling in school, the senior women’s tennis student-athlete from Cincinnati has volunteered with both prep for and at the SAAC Holiday Party for Jones Paideia Elementary School three different holiday seasons, contributed to the Second Harvest food drive, helped at the West End Neighborhood Halloween Celebration and taken part in the “Love Serving Autism” tennis clinic on multiple occasions as well.
Named to both the SEC Community Service Team and Spring SEC Academic Honor Roll each of the last two seasons, Macavei is slated to receive her degree in human & organizational development next week.
A senior on the Commodore football team, Dannett has participated in visits to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital, assisted with the Dancing Dores Dance Marathon, and volunteered at the SAAC Holiday Party since coming to West End. During that time, he has also supported the efforts of Jameson Wharton’s Football for the Cure, contributed to the Dores’ Summer Social Impact Day, visited veterans at a local hospital when Vandy played in the 2024 Birmingham Bowl and has volunteered at an event hosted by Special Olympics Tennessee. In addition, Mustafa has founded and directed an annual free youth football camp in his hometown of New London, Connecticut, has mentored struggling students in both high school and college and assisted the Black Mental Health Village in providing tailored mental health resources to individuals facing challenges.
A human & organizational development major, Dannett is expected to receive his undergraduate degree at next week’s graduation ceremony after making the Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll each of the last three years.
