By Emily Frazier

Hardworking senior Kayla Wright was awarded the Heisman High School Scholarship for her outstanding work both on the field and in the classroom. 

The Heisman High School Scholarship  recognizes and rewards senior student athletes who have shown leadership and effort; those who have excelled in the classroom, on the field and within their community. It is meant for both athletes and non-athletes who participate in community activities. 

“To have somebody from Greensburg recognized as even being a potential awardee or an awardee is a pretty prestigious honor,” Co-Principal Mr. Adam Jones said. 

In order to be eligible for this scholarship, students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or better, must be a senior, must be proven leaders in their school and must be involved in one of the sports recognized by the International Olympic Committee, the Paralympic Games or the National Federation of State High School Associations. 

Wright is the captain of the varsity cheer squad, a member of the lacrosse team, the president of the Letterman’s club, the treasurer of FCCLA, a member of the Interact club and an officer in the Spanish club and the French club. 

“She looks for opportunities to not only vocally lead, but lead the way by example,” Mr. Jones said. 

Applications were open from August 15 to October 18. Winners were announced in the month of November. Up to $10,000 could be received in scholarship money. 

“My mom and I have been looking all summer for [scholarships],” Wright said. “I just filled out the application and wrote an essay, and that was that.” 

This scholarship has four levels. More than 5,700 applicants, one of them being Wright, have been recognized as school winners. The next level up is the state winners who receive $1,000. The next, national finalists, receive $2,000. And finally, the national winners, who will be announced November 30, will receive the maximum of $10,000. 

By winning this scholarship, the recognition makes Wright stand out amongst her peers. 

“I was really excited because I’ve applied to a lot, but I haven’t really won anything yet,” Wright said.