VHS student Sha’Kyria Allen named as a finalist for the Heisman High School Scholarship

[Editor’s note: Some information regarding achievements located scholarship webpage has been reported as inaccurate. We have updated the information contained in the story at the request of Sha’Kyria Allen for accuracy.]

Vicksburg High School student Sha’Kyria Allen was selected as a national finalist for the Heisman High School Scholarship.

Allen, a four-year cheerleader for VHS and a member of the track and field team, is listed along with 11 other finalists. She is also a state winner of the award.

Allen began volunteering in middle school and has dedicated countless hours to numerous community organizations, always willing to do whatever is needed most. From spending time talking with nursing home residents, to passing out school supplies to disadvantaged students, to serving on the board of a local non-profit, Sha’Kyria believes that opportunities to work with people from all walks of life are essential to her personal development and growth. “First and foremost, it has taught me a lot about myself and my limits as a leader,” she says. She uses her experiences and the knowledge gained to push back on those limits and set new goals for herself both academically and athletically.

Given her passion for supporting others, it is no surprise that Sha’Kyria excels as a co-captain of her school’s cheer team. She is an All-American Cheerleader and has won first place at the state and national levels. She is also a gifted track and field athlete and holds multiple schools and district records as well as one state record in the sport. When she is not competing or serving her community, you can find Sha’Kyria studying for her many college-level courses and maintaining a remarkable 4.39 GPA that has earned her induction into multiple honor societies.

While balancing the demands of school, sports, and service has admittedly left her drained at times, she is motivated to overcome these challenges by keeping her ultimate dream in mind: to one day become a fetal surgeon. She knows that “there is much work for me to do, and one degree is only a piece of my incredible goal.” She also understands that she will continue to face obstacles and be tested along the way. Nevertheless “it is a goal I cannot pass up on,” she explains. Sha’Kyria’s relentless drive and steadfast commitment to achieving the future she envisions and ensuring a positive purpose for her life can be summed up in her own words, “The sky is NOT the limit for me.” She will keep striving to reach higher and go farther to make a meaningful difference in her community today and tomorrow.

Allen’s athletic achievements include:

Cheerleading

• Co-Captain
• Varsity Letter Winner
• All-State
• All-American Cheerleader
• National and State First Place Winner
• UCA Camp Overall Best

Track & Field

About the Heisman High School Scholarship:

The Heisman® High School Scholarship was created in 1994 through a partnership between Wendy’s® and The Heisman Trophy Trust. From its inception, the program has leveraged the reputation of the Heisman Memorial Trophy as a symbol of great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard work.

The Heisman High School Scholarship program extends the Heisman prestige to the nation’s most esteemed high school seniors by celebrating and rewarding outstanding male and female scholar-athletes who understand that the most important victories happen not only on the field, but also in their schools and communities.

Over the past 28 years, the program has honored more than 600,000 of the nation’s most esteemed high school seniors and provided hundreds of thousands of dollars in college scholarships to students and more than a million dollars to high school academic and athletic programs across the country.

The Heisman High School Scholarship program honors the nation’s most accomplished, community-minded high school senior athletes. By inviting male and female students from schools across the country to share their stories of leadership and impact, the program aims to inspire all students to harness their potential, push their limits, and use their talents not only to advance their own futures, but to improve the communities and world around them.