Christmas can be a special time of year, especially for kids. They await the arrival of Santa Claus in hopes they will get something that their hearts desire. But not all kids are fortunate enough to be at home on Christmas due to medical issues. Shelby Stovall is a student at Battiest High School and teacher and coach, Joseph Bean, took note of Stovall’s acts of kindness.

“For many years, Shelby has forgone Christmas for herself and buys toys and gifts for the children’s hospital,” Bean said. “She started this project by buying gifts with the money that would have been used for her gifts.  However, each year she has gotten more and more community support and the project continues to grow. Just recently, she has begun taking up items to help with things that are needed at a local shelter. The past couple of years she has dealt with challenging medical issues, but that has not stopped her from going above and beyond to help her community.”

Stovall is a member of the class of 2022 at Battiest. In the fall she will be attending Murray State College. As a student at Battiest, Stovall played sports and enjoyed them, but she felt herself being pulled in a different direction.

“I played junior high softball and basketball but stopped playing sports in high school,” she recalled. “I wanted to dedicate more time to community service. I love the game of basketball, but I never felt like a competitor. Winning wasn’t as exciting to me as just enjoying playing the game. I think we all have different definitions of success. I succeeded in learning a lot about my personality and dreams while playing basketball. I have enjoyed watching my brothers play baseball and basketball though.”

Shelby knew she enjoyed helping others but was not fully aware of what she could do until she met someone that she now looks up to.

“Dee Ann Cormier of the Choctaw Nation Youth Advisory Board, is definitely someone that I look up to. She encouraged me to get out of my comfort zone, and she helped me recognize my abilities. I served communities alongside Dee Ann and the YAB for several years. I use what she taught me to find needs in our community, big or small.”