For Shaniah Bridges, Black History Month is every month, not just February. And the Christian County High School senior plans to make some history of her own as she lays down the foundation for her future.
Bridges and fellow CCHS athlete Quenasia Henry began a Black student union at Christian County High, zeroing in on the need for a mentoring program in the community.
“We go out to young groups and teach people of color the beauty and diversity and how they can be better,” Bridges said. The mentorship involves around 50 kids in the community and the Boys and Girls Club of Hopkinsville.
In addition to basketball, Bridges is a member of the Lady Colonel track and field team. She’s president of the student council and active in the Beta Club, National Honor Society, and the Superintendent’s Council.
In balancing school, sports, and clubs, Bridges pulls down a 4.0 GPA and is near the top of her graduating class. She credits her ability to achieve her balance to her basketball coach Kiki Radford.
“Coach Radford takes grades seriously, and she lets me go to my clubs and study after school,” Bridges said. “She cares more about our grades than basketball.”
Bridges has used her strong academic performance to receive a full scholarship to the University of Louisville where she will study nursing. She said she wants to follow in the footsteps of her two aunts who went into the nursing field to become travel ER nurses.
Given her penchant for wanting to help children of the community and helping her teammates off the court, it’s no surprise that Bridges wants to continue that servant leadership in the future.
