LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Zamaya Lloyd has made her mark at Waggener High School by combining academics, creativity and leadership.
The Louisville senior’s 3.8 GPA and participation on the school’s Mock Trial Team indicate her intelligence, which is complimented by her skills as a gifted artist.
Art teacher Bethany Taylor said, “I met Zamaya as a 10th grader. She was in Art 1 and she immediately stood out. Her style is unique, and it just has an essence to it that isn’t automatic for a lot of students. So I knew immediately that she was an above-average art student and had a lot of talent. Sometimes kids like that maybe don’t really want to pursue art, but with her it turned into her passion and so her talent just grew and grew.”
Lloyd used that talent to create murals at her high school that celebrate diversity and carry messages of unity, identity and resilience. She also painted a mural for dementia patients at a local hospital.
She described her style saying, “What I’m mainly going toward right now is a cartoonish style so it can be brought out to kids, younger adults and people of older age because you know everyone likes a little cartoon they can relate to and laugh to. So the goal of me creating my art is just seeing how it can make others smile.”
She’s already created her own comic book and wants to study film and television in college, with the goal of eventually making her own animated TV show.
In addition to her ability to inspire with images, she does so as a leader, serving as president of Waggener’s Black Student Union. She said the group plays an important role in her life and “it matters to have an organization like Black Student Union because it gives us a chance to connect on our culture and to also allow individuals to talk about stuff that they may not be able to with certain friends they have.”
She said her leadership role with the BSU encouraged her to find her voice and then to use it. She said, “If you know you have the opportunity to change something, why not take the chance on making a change? I always want to make sure to look back and help those that are in need and help other people prosper. Those who may not think they have a voice to help them or project their voice can become leaders in our community.”
One way she serves is continuing the BSU’s ongoing work on the Waggener Food Apartheid Project, leading the effort to refurbish a local school bus and turn it into a mobile grocery store. She explained, “It was actually a project inspired and created by our members that lived in the West End, seeing how they struggle to get the simple things that I can go just down the street to get. We are also trying to connect with local farmers in the neighborhood to supply local produce fresh and healthy for those around us.”
Taylor said she is inspired to watch Lloyd make a difference.
“Zamaya is amazing. She goes above and beyond every day. She has an appreciation for others, [is] very sensitive to others, she listens well, and she executes her projects. When you can learn from your student, you know your student’s amazing. I mean we learn from all of our students every day, but she’s really one of those special students who as a teacher, you have to think outside the box to help her achieve her dreams which are above and beyond the average kid in your class. She’s just such a great leader amongst the other students in this school. Very kind, very considerate, listens well to their needs and then tries to come up with solutions for people.”
Gifted and giving. That combination makes Zamaya Lloyd a deserving High School Scholar. She has been accepted into the Savannah College of Art & Design and Spectrum News 1 is proud to award her a $1,000 college scholarship.
