I am one proud grandmother, ya’ll! I married this beauty’s granddaddy 8 years ago. When we met, she was in the fourth grade but even then, we knew she would turn out to be a classy young woman and she has! Miss Responsibility would be an appropriate title for this ray of sunshine!
Alayna is an “old soul” and has a ton of “do right” coursing through her veins. She has cared for her little sister, Selena, while her mom, Jennifer, works as a nurse.
Quite the athlete, Alayna played basketball, ran track, and played softball in Oklahoma but found her true passion in Airline High School Volleyball last year. We are so glad they moved back to Louisiana for her last few years of school. While I can’t make every game, I photograph every play when I am there!
Alayna is taking college courses through a program at Bossier Parish Community College while completing her education at Airline.
Oh, and let me not forget to include that she is also working at Red Lobster in Bossier in between all the other activities and continuing to care for Selena after school. Alayna has had many adults with strong work ethics to inspire her! Her granddaddy has been a coach and teacher for 45 years and her mom went to nursing school AFTER having her children. Alayna’s grandmother, Barbara, only recently retired after working since college.
Her (very proud) Aunt April Lee Cochran has worked for years with the same company out of her home as an Army wife moving around the country and for the last four years has been raising two little ones of her own. Uncle Jon Lee has shown Alayna what it means to overcome adversity and be successful. Then, there’s me and everyone knows I never slow down! But no matter who was in her life, I believe Alayna would have become this beautiful soul on her own. There is something striking about her intelligence and the way she perceives the things around her, far beyond her years. She has been this way since I have known her and I have always respected her for it.
She is receiving offers from colleges as far north as New York (We hope she does NOT take that one!). Where ever she decides to go after high school, we know that her grades and her future will be her beacons but her roots are right here!
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