North Little Rock High School is not short of a roster of star students and athletes. One of the many exemplary students at the school is Aleya Kennedy. Kennedy is the Student Council president and one of the top players on the school’s volleyball team. In all aspects, Kennedy is a hard worker and a great leader on and off the court. 

To her, the volleyball team is like family. 

“Everyone takes care of each other whether it’s mentally, physically or with school work. We tend to hold each other accountable when we’re not doing our best or slacking off,” says Kennedy.  

Kennedy says that she has always been competitive, and it shows on and off the court. “I love that fiery feeling that you get when everyone on the team is playing really good,” says Kennedy.  “It’s kind of like a reward for working so hard in practice. Just knowing that everything y’all worked for is coming together.” Sometimes though, practice can get tough, but Aleya always tries her best to keep up a good atmosphere in the gym. She makes practice fun by “having high energy and hyping everyone up for good plays during drills and making everyone laugh in between drills”. 

This energy in practice has obviously had an impact on the team, as everyone’s attitudes and skills led the NLRHS varsity volleyball team to a 17-5 record this year! During those matches Kennedy plays for her team, herself, and most importantly her family. In particular, she plays for her great uncle, Sunny, who passed away when she was twelve. Kennedy said, “We had such a close relationship, and I know he would have loved to watch me play and progress over these past years.”

When Kennedy graduates high school, she plans on going to college at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga to study pre-med biology. She is confident in her decision. She explained, “The coaching staff and team made me feel like family during my recruiting process which is very rare. I also felt like I could really grow and become a great human.” Overall, Kennedy is a phenomenal example of the many great student athletes at NLRHS as well as an even greater leader.