'A tremendous impact': Auburn exhibition to benefit Melton Scholars Program

AUBURN, Ala. – Proceeds from Auburn’s men’s basketball exhibition vs. Florida Atlantic Nov. 1 at Neville Arena will benefit Auburn University’s Melton Scholars Program, an initiative close to the heart of head coach Bruce Pearl.

“I tell my guys: there are going to be roadblocks, obstacles and detours, but you can navigate them and be anything you want to be,” Pearl said. “Auburn can help you do that. I believe that Auburn is a place where anybody can be successful.”

Launched in 2023, the Melton Scholars Program increases access for underrepresented students and supports them throughout their Auburn experience.

Named in honor of 1988 Auburn graduate Harold Melton, the former Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court, Auburn’s first Black student body president and the namesake of the university’s Student Center, the program empowers students to thrive academically, socially and personally.

The initial cohort of 11 Melton Scholars enrolled in the fall of 2023 with nine students receiving $10,000 annually for four years.

“Our basketball student-athletes are on full scholarships," Pearl said. "I made sure my players and their families knew we really wanted them, and we were committed to them graduating. That’s the way you have to recruit first-generation students or students of color. Recruit, retain and invest in them.”

Pearl’s dedication to creating an Auburn student body reflective of a broad array of backgrounds includes the Together We Will scholarship campaign that he co-chaired with Dr. Taffye Benson Clayton, associate provost and vice president. Merging the Together We Will scholarship, which Auburn introduced in 2020, with the Melton scholarships allows Auburn to offer additional resources to more Alabama residents. 

“Bruce has enthusiastically lent his support and commitment to the effort of making the Auburn experience a reality for more students in our state,” Clayton said. “We have some of the best and brightest minds attending Auburn to pursue an undergraduate degree and engage with a dynamic community of scholars." 

Pearl's contributions and his engagement of others to give has made a huge difference in the advancement of the Melton Scholars and Together We Will scholarship programs, according to Clayton.

“I’ve always believed you can’t ask somebody to do something that you’re not willing to do yourself,” Pearl said. “I’ve always invested in the scholarship program and our family is very proud to be a Melton Scholar donor.” 

Pearl’s commitment to supporting opportunities for underrepresented Auburn students matches that of the men’s basketball program’s most prominent alumnus, Basketball Hall of Famer and former NBA MVP Charles Barkley.

“Growing up in Leeds, Alabama, I experienced firsthand the challenges of limited access to opportunities,” Barkley said. “I was fortunate enough to receive a basketball scholarship to Auburn, which profoundly changed my life. I owe so much to the coaches who believed in me during that pivotal time. 

“This situation resonates deeply with underrepresented students, especially African American students, who aspire to attend college. Many of them will be the first in their families to graduate and break the cycle of limited opportunities. This underscores the significance of the Melton Scholars Program. 

“I am grateful to Bruce and the administration for their support in funding this initiative through the proceeds from the exhibition game. We cannot break the cycle without believing in these students and recognizing their potential contributions to society beyond Auburn University. I remain committed to fostering diversity at Auburn and ensuring that underrepresented students feel valued and welcomed.” 

Pearl’s dedication to education begins with his basketball team. In Pearl’s first decade on the Plains, an SEC-leading 40 of his players have graduated, including 80 percent who are graduates of color.

“To graduate, it takes hard work, discipline, commitment and accountability, and that work ethic and discipline has translated,” said Pearl, who emphasizes to recruits that basketball is only part of Auburn’s appeal. “If it’s about being an Auburn man, being a better teammate, being a better neighbor, loving your country, loving your God and being committed to competing in the classroom as well as the court, this is a great place for you.”

Pearl credits Auburn’s academic support system, faculty and commitment to retention for helping 40 men’s basketball players graduate in 10 years.

“Guys like it here, so we don’t have as many kids transfer,” he said. “In this day and age of transfer portal and NIL, to graduate four guys a year is almost unheard of.

“They have an opportunity to take advantage of the investment the university is making in them, but the biggest reward is when they walk out with their degree. For some guys, that’s easy. For others, it’s a real struggle, but that's where work ethic, discipline, accountability and university support comes in."

Auburn’s exhibition will be especially significant for KT Harrell, the leading scorer on Pearl’s first Auburn team, one of the earliest graduates of the Pearl era and a graduate assistant under Pearl from 2020-22. Now the director of basketball operations at Michigan, Harrell served in that same role at FAU the previous two seasons, including during the Owls’ Final Four appearance in 2023.

“Having an opportunity to get my master’s at Auburn was a great achievement for me and my family,” Harrell said. “I’m thankful Coach Pearl gave me an opportunity to come back to my alma mater and give back to Auburn as much as Auburn has given to me. I’m super grateful for that. Having two degrees from Auburn has allowed me to have a lot of success moving forward. I’m extremely thankful.

“For BP, I know it’s important that you compete on and off the floor. Academics is extremely important. I learned that in my early years at Auburn and I’ve held that same belief now being on the coaching side.”

Harrell’s athletic scholarship afforded him the opportunity to earn a debt-free education, an achievement he hopes Auburn University’s Melton Scholars can duplicate.

“For those kids who don’t necessarily have the resources to go to college, it will help them tremendously,” Harrell said. “It’s great for the community and a lot of young kids who aspire to go to college but might not have the resources to do.”

Former Auburn letterman Devin Waddell understands firsthand the value of a scholarship. After his second season as a walk-on, Pearl awarded Waddell a scholarship, helping Devin earn a bachelor’s in finance from the Harbert College of Business and a bachelor’s in chemical engineering from the Ginn College of Engineering. 

“It’s given me all the tools,” Waddell said. “BP always talks about practice and preparation. Auburn taught me how to work well on a team and be persistent. Those things were instilled in me at Auburn.”

A senior research associate for an investment management company, Waddell continued his education after Auburn, earning a master’s in management studies from Duke and an MBA from the University of Virginia. 

“Auburn is academically rigorous,” Waddell said. “I learned how to problem solve at the university. The Auburn family helps you achieve your goals and provides support.”

Waddell envisions bright futures for Auburn’s Melton Scholars.

“Education is an opportunity provider,” Waddell said. “It gives them a chance to uplift themselves and their families. It will give them more room to navigate, and flexibility to do what they want to do. I’m definitely supportive of the program.”

Auburn basketball’s most recent alum, Horace Spencer, graduated in August, five years after helping the Tigers reach the 2019 Final Four.

“Everything at Auburn you have to work hard to get,” Spencer said. “A degree, sports, being a good person, being a better son, father, teammate or friend. Whatever it is, you have to work hard at it because it doesn’t come easily. Auburn taught me discipline.

“I always will have a special spot in my heart for Auburn academically, socially and athletically. I always will love Auburn no matter what. I cannot see myself parting from Auburn ever.”

Auburn received an NCAA waiver to allow the Melton Scholars Program to be the exhibition’s beneficiary. NCAA guidance typically requires exhibition fundraisers to benefit disaster relief, social justice initiatives or medical expenses.

“I would like to thank the NCAA for their wisdom and willingness to support this game,” Pearl said. “We are going to make a tremendous impact. The visibility and exposure that this game is going to receive; it’s not only going to allow people to buy tickets but also make contributions, or even have a discussion around the kitchen table asking, ‘What do you think about us sponsoring a Melton Scholar? I wonder what that would look like. We’re going to give them that opportunity on Nov. 1.”

When Auburn fans attend the exhibition vs. FAU on the night before the Vanderbilt football game, not only will they get a preview of the 2024-25 Tigers, they’ll also be helping open doors to Auburn. 

Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer