Three days after his Guilford Quakers were eliminated in the NCAA Division III men’s basketball semifinals and Tyler Dearman ‘23 MISM ‘24 needed something to pick him up. That’s when he got the text from his coach, Tom Palombo.

Tom informed Tyler he won the 2024 Jostens Trophy as the most outstanding Division III men’s basketball player. The text didn’t erase the heartache of Guilford’s Final Four loss to Hampden-Sydney College, but it helped.  “It definitely made me smile,” says Tyler. “It’s a great honor, a great way to end my college career.”

The Jostens Trophy, given annually to the top male and female Division III basketball players by the Rotary Club of Salem (Va.), focuses on three major criteria: basketball ability, academic prowess and community service. Tyler certainly has the first two covered. Earlier this month he was named the Player of the Year in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference and NABC First Team All-American. Later this year he’ll wrap up his MBA at Guilford after earning an undergraduate degree in Sport Management.

Tom believes It was Tyler’s work in the community that separated him from his peers. “He’s always out there doing something,” says Tom. “Just a great ambassador for Guilford and a great leader for other students to look up to.”

Tyler says he became interested in community work during his first-year seminar class, which asked students to select working for a group on campus. Tyler chose to work with Every Campus A Refuge, a Guilford-based program that provides best practices on how colleges and universities can host refugees on campus grounds and assist them in resettlement.

“I learned a lot and loved being around and helping those people,” says Tyler. “(Service learning) definitely helps you learn more about Greensboro, so I’m proud they recognized that part of my life. Don't get me wrong, basketball is important, too, but to get that nod for community service is nice.”

The Jostens Trophy models the Rotary International motto of "Service Above Self" by recognizing well-rounded Division III student-athletes. The 2024 season marks the 26th time the Jostens Trophy honors are being awarded. Aleah Grundahl, a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, was the women’s recipient. Only three ODAC men's players have won the trophy all-time.

Tom says the award is a fitting end to Tyler’s collegiate career. “It’s an unbelievable accomplishment,” he says. “And Tyler didn’t just win the award, he earned it. I’m so happy for him.”