Youth Award nominee discusses her race for excellence
CALEDONIA, Miss. (WCBI) – The Exchange Club of Columbus recently hosted the 2024-2025 Youth of the Year Award, which is given to a student within Lowndes County for their academics and achievements.
Ella Shepherd, the Youth Award Nominee for Caledonia High School, is a 3rd generation Caledonia student making a difference in her school and community.
Shepherd was nominated for the Youth of the Year Award for her academics, for volunteering in her community, for participating in clubs and organizations, for her achievements, and for her various leadership roles.
Shepherd said just being nominated was a true honor.
“It seems like when I got that award, I realized how many people know me and how they look up to me,” Shepherd said. “And that really means a lot because here, when you’re nominated for something, that’s saying that they respect you and they know how much you have done and how hard you work. And so I was very grateful for being nominated.”
Shepherd says she hopes to set an example for others in her community.
“I hope they see that they can also make an impact with things that they are involved in,” Shepherd said. “And it doesn’t have to be a lot of things because I’m a very busy girl, but they could just be on one team or one club and still make a huge impact with the people that they are around.”
Shepherd isn’t planning to stop after high school; she is looking to have a lasting impact on her new friends when she gets to college.
“Specifically in college, I’m looking to invest in my teammates for running for cross-country and track. And then after college, I’m very much looking forward to investing in students,” Shepherd said.
But while she looks towards the future, she hopes her impact is felt in the halls of Caledonia High School.
“I just hope that they take from me that being involved in their community is very important, and it will help their community with the next generation that might be younger than them,” Shepherd said.
And as for her future, Shepherd plans to attend Blue Mountain Christian University on a running scholarship and study secondary education biology.
