For Dillard student Sierra Spears, it truly is better to give than receive. The 21-year-old senior has done a lot of giving this past year and her efforts have been rewarded. On Thursday, Jan. 19, Spears will receive the Martin Luther King Jr. Service Award for her tireless contributions to community service.

“I love the reaction you get from helping people,” says Spears, who plans to begin law school in the fall. Spears says building relationships with others is an added bonus when volunteering.

Though she has participated in mentoring programs, served as a tutor, and performed many other service activities, Spears says coaching the Prancing Panthers dance team at St. Rita Catholic Central is her favorite thing to do. The busy political science major has still found time to help the dance team at St. Rita practice for a series of upcoming performances for Black History Month. For Spears, it’s just who she is. “The concept of leadership through service was instilled in me early on. It’s ingrained in me; it’s a part of my biological makeup,” she adds.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Service Award will be presented to Spears and another student at the MLK Convocation, which begins at 6:30 p.m. at Xavier University. It is bestowed on students who exemplify the principles, standards, and ideology of Martin Luther King Jr.