Standing realizes her goal

The greatest moment of Alisha Standing’s high school career had nothing to do with volleyball or basketball – two sports in which she started for William Chrisman.
Rather, it was earning her way to being Chrisman’s valedictorian this last year.
Her work ethic and academic success, as well as her success on the court, made her the choice to be The Examiner’s 2008 Female Scholar Athlete of the Year.
“Academics were always my top priority,” she said. “I really wanted to be valedictorian and sit on that stage. I always put that first. I always did my homework on time and did the best I could. Any extra credit opportunity, I took it.”
Throughout the school season, playing a pair of varsity sports – particularly two that play relatively late at night and with mulitple games a week – made things a little more difficult for Standing.
But she had a goal and she was not going to be denied.
“It was really hard,” she said. “I was always taking books, a laptop, doing homework on the bus, doing homework before the game. I stayed up late a lot.
“I would probably say in season, I wouldn’t go to bed until 1 or 1:30 (a.m.)”
And Standing did not get by with an easy schedule either.
“I took six weighted classes out of seven (my senior year),” she said. “My hardest class was probably (advanced placement) probability and statistics of Spanish 4.
“My senior year, I don’t think I took any electives. I took an extra history class and two extra math classes. I wouldn’t say I was more advanced at one subject than another.”
However, there was one subject she had troubles with.
“I was probably weakest at history,” she said. “But I had a really good teacher who helped me understand things. When I needed to, I’d stay after to get help. Our teachers were great helping us. If we missed a test (because of a game) they would give us time to get it done.
“My favorite subject would have to be English. My English teacher my senior year was great.”
The success she achieved in the classroom was sometimes difficult for Chrisman in volleyball and basketball – particularly in a difficult Suburban Big Seven conference.
But Standing was able to take small victories in some of their big wins – including having a big game in helping Chrisman upset archrival Truman.
“The biggest win was when we beat Truman,” she said. “It was just amazing. Everyone thought we we’d (struggle) with Bree (Kisner) gone. Becky Greer, the other senior, and I both have a picture on our wall of us holding the huge (Three Trails) trophy. It was so exciting winning that game. There was a lot of teamwork.”
Despite the individual success she may have achieved, Standing said her athletic career is over. She plans on going to the University of Missouri-Kansas City and double majoring in elementary education and psychology.
“I might play intramurals,” she said. “But the academics in college are much more demanding.”
As for her career choice, Standing is going with her heart and wants to help abused and neglected children and women.
“It all started my junior year when we went on a field trip to a shelter for abused women,” she said. “I really want to be a child psychologist and help them. I know going in psychology will take years. I’m hoping I can get a teaching job and possibly be a coach. I want to teach, so I can try to get that extra degree (to reach my goal).”
And as Standing has shown, when she sets her mind on it, she will do anything and everything it takes to achieve her goals.