2023 Scholarship Winners

Malachi attends Memphis Virtual High School and is the son of Dexter and Delicia Franklin. Malachi has participated in the Project Stand food pantry giveaway. He believes there are three ways in which education is important to our community: promoting economic growth, reducing poverty and inequality, and building stronger and healthier communities.

 

Malachi plans to attend Ranken Technical College.

 

Shelby is currently a senior at Arlington High School. She is the daughter of Tawanna Bragg and Terry Hopson. Shelby is a member of many honor societies including National Honors Society, National English Honors Society, Mu Alpha Theta, and National Technical Honors Society just to name a few. She is also involved in her schools Color and Winter Guard teams; she is a bassist at School of Rock Wolfchase and Bridge Builders. She has offices with the Advocates for Human Rights, where she was a member of the events, planning, and contemporary issues committee. She has received the title of AP Scholar with Distinction and have been designated in the National African American Recognition Program.

 

Her school counselor had the following to say: “Maintaining an average that puts her in the top 5% of her class, Shelby has a full slate of AP and Dual enrollment classes, many that are connected with the sciences, her true passion. Shelby’s goal is to work in the medical field, and she is one of only 15 students chosen this year to be part of the Clinical Internship Program here at AHS.”

 

Shelby plans to attend University of Tennessee at Knoxville to major in Biology and minor in Spanish, with aspirations of becoming a Medical Examiner.

Nyla attends White Station High School and is the daughter of Patrick and Sharon Johnson. Nyla’s extra-curricular activities include the Memphis Ambassador Program (M.A.P.), a year-round development and enrichment program designed to assist in their decision-making about post-secondary life and the development of social, critical thinking, and leadership skills.

 

 

Nyla also loves public speaking, acting, singing, and dancing. All these talents are displayed through her affiliation with the Young Actors Guild (YAG) Dance and Theatre Company. YAG’s mission is to motivate, inspire, and educate the youth in performing arts. In addition to acting and singing, Nyla is a Company Dancer, which means that she is one of 12 young ladies who are advanced in their skills within the organization. These young ladies represent the organization around the Memphis area and beyond. Often you will find Nyla displaying her orator skills by narrating various productions. Nyla became the owner of Leilani’s Luxuries, L.L.C. Leilani’s Luxuries produces handmade soy- waxed candles in six different fragrances. After just a year and a half, the business has expanded into a retail location in Olive Branch, MS.

 

 

Nyla plans to attend Louisiana State University- Baton Rouge where she will study Architecture.