The Georgia Southern Alumni Association announced their 2016 40 Under 40 class this month. Out of over 83,000 Georgia Southern University living alumni, more than 33,000 are under 40 years old. A mere 40 of these 33,000 alumni are chosen to represent the University every two years. 40 Under 40 honorees not only represent the excellence of the University's young alumni, but also demonstrates the positive contributions and remarkable achievements for which Georgia Southern graduates are known.

After a process including nominations and applications, we are proud to inform Eagle Nation that the 2016 40 Under 40 honors five student-athlete alumni, making them amongst some of the most successful Georgia Southern alumni.  This recognition is a direct example of the Athletics' Department goal of 'Rings, Diplomas and Leaders.'

This goal is to provide our student-athletes with the opportunity to compete for a championship ring and earn a college education while developing them as future leaders in their respective communities.  We are honored to have Timothy Blom, Jaclyn Donovan, Ben Freakley, Sally Scott and Trey Sheppard represent the Athletics Department in such manner.

Timothy Blom (men's soccer) graduated in 1999 with a Bachelor and Masters degree in Secondary Education.  Before graduating, he played on the men's soccer team for two years.  Blom currently lives in Fishers, Indiana and serves as the Curriculum Coordinator for the Metropolitan School District of Washington Township in Indianapolis. He serves on the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics Indiana Team Leader and previously served on the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, National Soccer Coaches Association of America and the Indiana High school Soccer Coaches Association. Blom is married to Lindsey and they have two children, Mackenzie and Spencer.

Jaclyn Donovan (softball) holds a Sports Medicine degree from Georgia Southern.  Before graduating in 2000, she spent four years playing softball for the Georgia Southern Eagles.  Her and her husband, Jack, currently live in Moultrie, Georgia where she is the Athletic Training Services Coordinator at the Vereen Rehabilitation Center. Donovan has a very adventurous personality.  Her and her husband enjoy skydiving, which is how they met.  They also enjoy kayaking, hiking, and competitive shooting. She is currently an active Rotary International district officer and enjoys counseling each year at the Rotary Youth Leadership Camp.

Ben Freakley (men's soccer) boasts three degrees from Georgia Southern University: B.A. in Public Relations, and two Master's degrees in Sports Management and Sports Psychology.  Freakley spent much of his time during his college career playing on the soccer team. He currently serves as the General Manager and Head Coach at South Georgia Tormenta FC.  Ben lives in Savannah, Georgia with his wife Melissa, who also played soccer at Georgia Southern and they have two sons, Ben and Connor.  In his spare time, Ben enjoys consulting college athletes, teams and businesses in team dynamics and peak performance concepts.

Sally Scott (women's tennis) played on the women's tennis team at Georgia Southern before graduating in 2011 with a BBA Management degree.  She is currently the Regional Director of Development at the Georgia Southern University Athletic Foundation. Scott is a Downtown Rotary Member and currently serves as membership chair.  She is a two time Hall of Fame inductee for Screven County High School and is a graduate of the inaugural Lynda B. Williamson Women's Leadership Academy. She lives a healthy lifestyle and has completed a number of marathons, bridge runs and triathlons and is a two time Spartan Trifecta.  

Trey Sheppard (football) graduated from Georgia Southern in 1999 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance. While studying at Southern, he spent two years playing football. He is currently residing in Sandersville, Georgia with his wife Emily and their four children, Ford, Anne Marie, Emerson and Jones. Trey is the current Vice President of Kaolin and Timber Operations at Howard Sheppard in Sandersville.  He also holds many other positions such as Vice Chairman of the Citizens Bank of the South Board of Directors, Chairman of the Georgia Southern Athletic Foundation Board, Secretary of the Washington County Development Authority and a member of the Sandersville Rotary Club. He also serves on the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia.

Please join us in congratulating these outstanding young alumni athletes!
 

View the complete 2016 40 Under 40 List
 

The Georgia Southern University Athletic Foundation's (GSUAF) primary goal is to provide our student-athletes with the opportunity to compete for a championship ring and earn a college education while developing them as future leaders in their respective communities.

The Athletic Foundation currently supports nearly 400 student-athletes who play in one of the 17 Division I varsity programs. Contributions to the Foundation make it possible for Georgia Southern student-athletes to achieve their goals in competition, in the classroom and in life.