Dodie Dunson

Classroom

In 2006, Dunson was diagnosed with a severe form of dyslexia and an auditory processing disorder, which affects his ability to comprehend effectively both written- and verbally-communicated words. He has significant difficulties in word reading, reading comprehension and word decoding.  After struggling his first semester at Bradley, the academic support staff suggested that Dunson meet with a learning specialist. Dunson meets with the learning specialist an average of 20 hours per week to improve his word recognition and reading comprehension skills.  He also spends countless hours reviewing note cards, taking home-made practice exams and re-writing essays. Dunson even voluntarily comes in to study on weekends and sometimes two to three different times throughout the day. The hard work has paid off as his GPA at Bradley has risen to 3.69 and he has earned a spot on the Bradley Athletic Director’s honor roll in each of the last four semesters, twice with a perfect 4.0, as well as the 2009-10 Missouri Valley Conference honor roll.

Character

A social work major, Dunson indicated his best non-athletic talent is working with kids. He also has expressed a desire to give back to those people who suffer from his similar learning disabilities. He strives to be a model for others to follow. Dunson was voted a team co-captain in the 2008-09 preseason before ever putting on a Bradley uniform. That speaks to the level of respect he quickly earned from his teammates. This year he will once again serves as a co-captain and his infectious personality has made him a fan favorite.

Community

Dunson is a regular participant in several social-service projects at Bradley and in his hometown of Bloomington, Ill.  Among those, he speaks to school children of all age ranges, focusing on maintaining positive attitudes and keeping their attention on things that will make them successful in life.

Competition

As a junior in 2008-09, Dunson averaged 10.1 points per game and helped the Braves win the inaugural CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament despite playing the final seven games with a broken bone in his right (shooting) hand. He was the Braves’ best three-point shooter. Dunson was a candidate for the 2010 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award before suffering a season-ending injury in the second game of the year.