Foley High School’s Aliyah Williams and Citronelle High School’s Brayden Helton are the first recipients of the United States Sports Academy’s inaugural Pat Summitt and Jim Thorpe Scholar Athlete Scholarships.
Williams and Helton are the first students to receive the scholarships, which provide full tuition coverage to attend USSA for four years as they pursue their bachelor’s degrees. The students were selected from a pool of candidates who met a high academic standard and submitted 750-word essays detailing their plan to use their USSA degrees to become leaders in the sports profession. The scholarships are named in honor of Jim Thorpe, considered one of the greatest multi-sport athletes of the 20th century, and Pat Summitt, the legendary University of Tennessee women’s basketball coach.
“I am immensely proud of Brayden Helton and Aliyah Williams, who exemplify not only academic excellence and talent but also a grounded spirit and unwavering dedication to their education,” USSA Dean of Enrollment Services Taylor Rogers said. “Their outstanding academic achievements and exceptional talents truly set them apart. They should take great pride in this achievement, knowing they have set a high standard for future award recipients. As they continue to excel in their academic pursuits, I am confident they will inspire others and leave a lasting impact on our university community and teams.”
Williams has a 3.9 GPA and is a top student at Foley High School. She will be a member of USSA’s first ever track and field team. She was presented the Summitt award by USSA’s director of sports leadership and Olympic medallist Dr. Noemi Zaharia.
“Physical therapy is the driving force that brought me hope during the most challenging time in my life,” Williams said. “I aspire to be a vessel for student-athletes and disabled individuals who struggle both physically and mentally.”
Helton has a 3.8 GPA and is a top student at Citronelle High School. He will a member of USSA’s inaugural baseball team. He was presented the Thorpe award by Sheelby Thorpe, the great-granddaughter of Jim Thorpe.
“My goal is to become a physical therapist or an athletic trainer so that I would be able to help individuals in my community return to the best version of themselves,” Helton said. “I have been able to experience firsthand the impact that physical therapy can have the past few years, not only through my experience but also my friends’ experiences. Watching myself and others heal properly and get to continue playing the sports and doing the activities that they love has made me want to help others in the same way. I believe that if I can make athletes and other individuals experience the joy that I felt whenever I was fully healed and was able to continue playing, then I have greatly impacted the community.”
About the Pat Summitt Scholar Athlete of the Year Scholarship:
The USSA Pat Summitt Scholar Athlete of the Year Scholarship is given annually to a female high school athlete who intends to study at the university. The scholarship covers all tuition for four years, provided the student remains in good standing with the university. The scholarship is named for the legendary University of Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt, who made a tremendous impact on collegiate athletics and at the international level as head coach of the USA women’s basketball team. She remains one of the winningest collegiate women’s basketball coaches and her Definite Dozen program has positively impacted leaders in the worlds of business, sports, and education for decades.
About the Jim Thorpe Scholar Athlete of the Year Scholarship:
The USSA Jim Thorpe Scholar Athlete of the Year Award is given annually to a male high school athlete who intends to study at the university. The scholarship covers all tuition for four years, provided the student remains in good standing with the university. The scholarship is named in honor of Native American multi-sport athlete Jim Thorpe, who is remembered as one of the greatest sportsmen of the 20th century. He won two Olympic track and field gold medals at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden, and excelled at baseball, basketball, and football at both the collegiate and professional levels. He was also the first president of the American Professional Football Association, which later became the NFL, from 1920-1921.
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