Joya Kiwele stands out.
Whether it’s because the Elmore County junior can speak six different languages or her speed on the soccer field or the story on how she got to Eclectic, Kiwele, whose given first name is Tabwikosua, is unique in all the best ways.
kAmz:H6=6 DE2CED 7@C E96 t=>@C6 r@F?EJ 8:C=D D@446C E62> 2?5 A=2JD 46?E6C 324<[ 2 A@D:E:@? 2DD:DE2?E 4@249 |2C4J w@H2C5 D2:5 :D 2 5:77:4F=E @?6 E@ 36 AFE :? 2?5 6IA64E65 E@ DF44665 C:89E 2H2J] qFE z:H6=6 5@6D 2 8@@5 ;@3 2?5 >2<6D 2 5:776C6?46 7@C E96 {25J !2?E96CD] (96? t=>@C6 r@F?EJ A=2J65 (6EF>A<2 @? u63] aa 2?5 z:H6=6 4@F=5 ?@E A=2J 5F6 E@ 2? 2?<=6 :?;FCJ[ E96 x?5:2?D H@? E96 >2E49 g\_] {6DD E92? 2 H66< =2E6C[ E96 D2>6 EH@ E62>D A=2J65[ 3FE z:H6=6 H2D >2??:?8 96C 46?E6C 324< A@DE 2?5[ H9:=6 t=>@C6 r@F?EJ 5:5 =@D6[ E96 D4@C6 H2D >F49 4=@D6C 2E b\`]k^Am
kAm%96C6 2C6 E@@ >2?J E9:?8D w@H2C5 6?;@JD 23@FE z:H6=6 E@ D:?8=6 @FE @?6 E9:?8]k^Am
kAm“$96’D C62==J 2 56=:89E[” w@H2C5 D2:5] “$96’D 8@E 2 E624923=6 DA:C:E] $96 <?@HD 2=>@DE :>>65:2E6=J H96? D96’D 5@?6 D@>6E9:?8 E92E D96 AC@323=J 4@F=5 92G6 5@?6 36EE6C] *@F 5@?’E C62==J 92G6 E@ D2J >F49 E@ 96C 3642FD6 J@F 42? D66 96C 7246] %96 A=2J H:== 4@>6 324< 2?5 D96’D 2=C625J 4@CC64E65 :E] $96’D 8@E 2 8@@5 DA:C:E 23@FE 96C] $96’D 92AAJ] $96’D 8@E 42>2C256C:6] $96 H2?ED E@ 82E96C 2C@F?5 H:E9 E96 E62>] (6 766= G6CJ 7@CEF?2E6 E@ 92G6 96C] x H:D9 x 4@F=5 4=@?6 96C 2?5 92G6 D6G6C2= @7 96C]”k^Am
kAmz:H6=6 42? 2=D@ DA62< D:I =2?8F286Di t?8=:D9[ $H29:=:[ 2?5 uC6?49 7=F6?E=Jj D96 F?56CDE2?5D %223H2 2?5 q6>32 3FE DECF88=6D E@ DA62< :E[ 2?5 D96 :D 4FCC6?E=J C6\=62C?:?8 $A2?:D9]k^Am
kAmx7 H92E z:H6=6 92D 5@?6 H9:=6 D96’D 366? 2E t=>@C6 r@F?EJ :D 2>2K:?8[ E96 DE@CJ @7 96C 86EE:?8 E@ E9:D A@:?E :D ;FDE 2D[ :7 ?@E 6G6? >@C6[ 2>2K:?8] $96 H2D 3@C? :? E96 p7C:42? 4@F?ECJ @7 +2>3:2[ :? E96 |H2?86 #67F866 r2>A :? |A@C@<@D@[ =@42E65 :? +2>3:2’D ?@CE96C? AC@G:?46]k^Am
kAmpE a J62CD @=5[ z:H6=6 2?5 96C A2C6?ED H6C6 C6\D6EE=65 E@ E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 2D C67F866D] q642FD6 E96 >@G6 H2D D@ DF556?[ E96 72>:=J :?:E:2==J 5:5 ?@E <?@H H96C6 E96J H@F=5 H:?5 FA[ 3FE E96 D6EE=65 :? |@3:=6 7@C 2 76H J62CD]k^Am
kAm(96? z:H6=6 H2D `a[ D96 2?5 96C 72>:=J >@G65 324< E@ p7C:42 E@ 364@>6 >:DD:@?2C:6D] %96J >@G65 E@ E96 s6>@4C2E:4 #6AF3=:4 @7 E96 r@?8@[ +2>3:2’D ?6:893@C E@ E96 ?@CE9] z:H6=6 DE2J65 E96C6 7@C 23@FE E9C66 J62CD 367@C6 >@G:?8 324< E@ E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 3642FD6 D96 ?66565 E@ 7:?:D9 96C D49@@=:?8]k^Am
kAm&A@? C6EFC?:?8 E@ E96 &$[ z:H6=6 H2D 7:CDE A=2465 :? r2DA6C[ (J@>:?8] (9:=6 D96 H2D E96C6[ D96 DE2CE65 E@ 86E 9@>6D:4<] (:E9 96C A2C6?ED 36:?8 >:DD:@?2C:6D[ E96J A2CE?6C FA H:E9 5:776C6?E 49FC496D[ :?4=F5:?8 t4=64E:4 &?:E65 |6E9@5:DE r9FC49] (:E9 E96 96=A @7 E96 49FC49 DE277[ z:H6=6 2?5 96C A2C6?ED 564:565 :E H2D 36DE E@ >@G6 E@ t4=64E:4 7@C D49@@=] $96 92D ?@H 366? :? t4=64E:4 7@C 23@FE 2 J62C]k^Am
kAmz:H6=6 92D 6?;@J65 96C E:>6 :? t4=64E:4[ 3FE D96 2=D@ 25>:ED E@ >:DD:?8 9@>6 2E E:>6D]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 2 =@E 5:776C6?E E92? H92E x’> FD65 E@[” z:H6=6 D2:5] “p?5 x 92G6 925 D@>6 9@>6D:4<?6DD] {:<6 >:DD:?8 7@@5[ >:DD:?8 D@>6 7C:6?5D 2?5 72>:=J 324< :? p7C:42] x’G6 562=E H:E9 2 =@E @7 4F=EFC6 D9@4<] %9:?8D 2C6 C62==J 5:776C6?E E92? E96J 2C6 324< 9@>6 :? p7C:42] x ;FDE 92G6 E@ 86E W2DD:>:=2E65X E@ :E]”k^Am
kAmp>@?8 2== E96 E9:?8D z:H6=6 D2:5 >2<6D 96C 9@>6D:4<[ E96 7@@5 92D 366? E96 3:886DE 25;FDE>6?E] {:G:?8 :? p7C:42[ >@DE @7 E96 7@@5 D96 2E6 H2D @C82?:4] r@>:?8 E@ E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D[ E96C6 :D >F49 >@C6 AC@46DD65 7@@5D 2?5 z:H6=6 D2:5 D96 :?:E:2==J 8@E D:4< 367@C6 96C DJDE6> 8@E FD65 E@ D@>6 @7 E96 7@@5]k^Am
kAmp?@E96C :DDF6 z:H6=6 7@F?5 96CD6=7 562=:?8 H:E9 H6C6 A6@A=6 >2<:?8 DE6C6@EJA:42= ;@<6D E@H2C5 96C 23@FE =:G:?8 :? p7C:42]k^Am
kAm“(92E x 5:5[ x DH:E4965 :E H96C6 D@>6E:>6D x H@F=5 6?5 FA >2<:?8 E9@D6 ;@<6D D@ A6@A=6 H@F=5?’E 92G6 2 492?46 E@ >2<6 E96>[” z:H6=6 D2:5] “qFE E92E’D E96 3:886DE DECF88=6[ 562=:?8 H:E9 A6@A=6 2D<:?8 >6 D@>6 C62==J 5F>3 BF6DE:@?D x H@F=5 D2J] {:<6[ ‘xD E96C6 H2E6C W@C 4=@E96DX :? p7C:42n’”k^Am
kAm~FED:56 @7 E92E[ z:H6=6 92D 6?;@J65 96C E:>6 :? t4=64E:4 2?5 2E t=>@C6 r@F?EJ w:89 $49@@=] w@H2C5 2?5 E96 D@446C E62> :?:E:2==J 962C5 @7 z:H6=6 E9C@F89 E96 8C2A6G:?6 @7 E96 D49@@= E96C6 H2D 2 8:C= E92E >@G65 E@ E96 D49@@= 7C@> p7C:42 2?5 H2?E65 E@ ECJ @FE 7@C E96 D@446C E62>]k^Am
kAm“(96? x 7:CDE D2H 96C @? E96 7:6=5 x H2D =:<6 @9 >J 8@@5?6DD[” w@H2C5 D2:5] “%9:D 8:C= :D D@ 72DE] p?5 D96 =62C?65 E9:?8D G6CJ BF:4<=J] p?5 H6 H6C6 =:<6 @9 J629[ D96’D 2 567:?:E6 W>6>36C @7 E96 E62>X]”k^Am
kAm$@446C 92D 366? 8C62E E@ z:H6=6 :? 96C E:>6 2E t=>@C6 r@F?EJ]k^Am
kAm“x’G6 C62==J 6?;@J65 :E[ :E’D 366? 2>2K:?8[” z:H6=6 D2:5] “x’G6 A=2J65 D@446C D:?46 x H2D J@F?8] |J 72E96C 92D 2 D@446C E62> @7 9:D @H? :? p7C:42 D@ x’G6 2=H2JD 8C@H? FA :? E92E 6?G:C@?>6?E] qFE 36:?8 @? 2 G2CD:EJ E62> H:E9 2 3F?49 @7 8:C=D 2?5 2>2K:?8 4@2496D[ :E’D C62==J 366? 2 8@@5 E9:?8 3642FD6 x’G6 8@EE6? E@ 3@?5 H:E9 D@>6 A6@A=6 2?5 :E’D 24EF2==J >256 :E 2 =@E 62D:6C @? >6 96C6 3642FD6 x <?@H x 92G6 2 8C@FA @7 A6@A=6 x 42? ECFDE 2?5 A=2J H:E9 2?5 x 42? 6?;@J 36:?8 H:E9 E96>]”k^Am
kAmz:H6=6 A=2?D @? 7:?:D9:?8 FA 9:89 D49@@= 2E t=>@C6 r@F?EJ :? a_`h 2?5 E2<:?8 2 82A J62C E@ 8@ 324< E@ p7C:42 E@ D66 96C 72>:=J 367@C6 4@>:?8 324< E@ E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D E@ 2EE6?5 4@==686]k^Am
