CYPRESS — Langham Creek High School senior softball player Haley Samuelsen was among eight Houston-area students surprised by Reliant and the Houston Texans with a $5,000 scholarship during the energy company’s second annual charity flag football game on Nov. 12.
Samuelsen is a three-year letterwinner with the Langham Creek softball program entering her final season and earned all-district accolades in each of her first three years. In addition to her excellence in the classroom and heavy involvement in numerous clubs and organizations on campus, Samuelsen is also a member of the Superintendent’s Student Leadership Advisory Committee.
Those accolades made her an ideal candidate for Reliant’s Scholarship for Champions program, which recognizes Houston-area students for their leadership in athletics, academics and community involvement. It began in 2005 and has awarded $480,000 to 96 students.
Candidates must play on a varsity team, maintain a minimum 3.0 grade point average and plan to pursue a college degree.
Making the surprise even more special for Samuelsen and the other seven recipients is they were given the news by Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. He commended the students for their dedication to athletics and academics and emphasized the importance of leadership and giving back to the local community.
“We love being able to recognize hardworking, deserving students through our Scholarship for Champions program,” Reliant Present Elizabeth Killinger said. “We also were happy to have Deshaun Watson, who is an excellent role model both on the field and in life, present to help celebrate these students’ accomplishments. Our work with Deshaun to ‘Power It Forward’ through community involvement is part of our commitment to being a positive force in the community.”
Each recipient posed for photos with Watson, who was also joined at the event by Houston Texans cheerleaders and TORO, the team’s mascot.
“I helped power it forward for these students because it gave them a little bit more hope and belief that they can be able to achieve anything they want to even before they get on a college campus,” Watson said.
The students concluded their day by joining local media personalities for a game of flag football to help raise money for nonprofit organizations. The honorees were also recognized during the Houston Texans’ game Dec. 9.
Support the Cypress News Review:
1. Become a monthly patron for as little as $1 via Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/CypressNewsReview).
2. Like our Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/CypressNewsReview), follow our Twitter (https://twitter.com/CypressNewsRev), and subscribe to our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKIuHUwXbt_R673iszcLz7g).
We’re relatively new to the scene, so our numbers might look small, but they’re growing exponentially thanks to your liking and sharing our content. Cypress is our home, and has gone for far too long without a dedicated news source, and we aim to fill that gap.