Ca’Zarriyanna Runels has plenty to cheer about.
The senior is the salutatorian of her Detroit High School class of 2023, she got both academic and athletic scholarships and she is heading off to college with her family’s blessing.
“I plan to attend Hastings College in Hastings, Nebraska,” she said, where she will play Division II basketball.
She had been contacted by college officials during her sophomore year, but was still deciding on where to attend college.
But a visit to the college campus her senior year helped her make up her mind.
“When I went to visit, I fell in love with the campus,” Runels said. “I really loved the gym. I knew I wanted to go there.”
She was motivated at a young age to make good grades and prepare for her future education.
“I always wanted to be on the A honor roll. I tried to make the best grades I could in every class,” she said.
“My favorite subject is definitely
history,” she said. “I really like learning about how we got to where we are.”
She said Cheryl Marquez, her history teacher this past year, reinforced her love of history.
During her years in DISD, which began in elementary school, she played sports and was active in school organizations.
“I played basketball, volleyball, cheer and track,” she said. “I loved the relationships I built.
“I really enjoyed competing in cheer on the UIL level,” she said of her cheer-leading team’s first ever University Interscholastic League competition. “That is something I will never forget.
“Another thing I will never forget is underclassmen telling me that they looked up to me. It is a great feeling because I feel like I did my job as a senior,” she said. “I was a good role model.”
David Money is the assistant managing editor for The Paris News. He can be reached at 903-785-6964 or david.money@theparisnews.com.
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