Page 30 - All Arkansas Preps 2020

30M Sunday, June 28, 2020 | All-Arkansas Preps | Advertising Supplement to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
FIRST SECURITY BANK KEITH JACKSON ACADEMIC AWARD CARLY STRONG
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE FILE PHOTO
SENIOR / SHERIDAN HIGH SCHOOL
>> WHY SHE WON
From the classroom to the starting line, Carly Strong knows how to keep focused.
Strong’s senior year at Sheridan High School started out like any other, but the
death of a cheerleading teammate and the cancellation of the outdoor track season in Arkansas created some challenges for her to overcome. Strong took on those challenges with grace and a positive attitude, while excelling academically and being a strong leader at her school.
For her dedication to her future and her community, Strong has been named the 2019-2020 All-Arkansas Preps First Security Bank Keith Jackson Academic Award winner.
“I’m honored because I’m excited to represent my school, my family and just to know that my hard work has paid off,” she said. “It means a lot.”
Strong recently graduated second in her class with a grade-point average of 4.32 while taking a rigorous workload of Advanced Placement classes. She was named as an AP Scholar last year for passing all three of her AP classes: AP Psychology, AP Art History and AP Language.
She’s also active in several clubs and school organizations, including being a member of the Student Council and the National Honor Society and serving as a senior-class officer. Strong was also on the 2019 homecoming court and was a counselor’s aide.
“Carly is one of a kind,” wrote Lindsey Fortin, Sheridan High School counselor, in her nomination letter for Strong. “[She] has excelled in some of the most challenging courses we offer. She always gives 110 percent to whatever she is doing.”
As a captain of the Sheridan cheer team, Strong had to help the team cope with the death of a teammate. e week of anksgiving, Carson Fleming, who was on the cheer team, and fellow classmate Hunter Kesterson died in a car accident. Carly said the accident occurred right in the middle of competition season. She said that after the accident, the team had a meeting where they held each other and let each one know that they had each other’s backs. e team won second place in the 5A All-Girl category at the 2019 Arkansas State Cheerleading Championships.
“It was tough because I knew I had to lift the team up because I was a captain,” Strong said. “I was really proud of everything that we overcame and did this year because it takes a lot of time to do sideline [cheer] and competitive [cheer.]”
Strong is also a champion sprinter for Sheridan. She has been the indoor state champion in the 60-meter dash four years in a row, state champion in the 200-meter dash twice and the 400-meter state champion, and Sheridan won the Indoor State Championship in 2020 and was runner-up in 2019.
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