Sheyla Street, a senior at Central High School in Philadelphia, has been selected as the national winner of the 2021 National Honor Society (NHS) Scholarship. Selected from among 10,000 applicants, Street was recently awarded the $25,000 scholarship during a surprise virtual meeting. 

Street serves as president of her school’s NHS and is known for her student activism. The senior has been the driving force behind raising awareness for social injustice and voter engagement, including becoming the national ambassador for the My School Votes program, where she led voter registration of more than 30,000 young people nationally and 1,000 students in her school. She also founded the Philly Black Students Alliance, an organization of Black students, teachers, and alumni across the district advocating for anti-racist schools and student representation on the school board.

“Sheyla truly embodies all that we want from out students. She’s hardworking, passionate and committed to doing her best and giving her all,” said Philadelphia Schools Superintendent William Hite. 

Since 1946, NHS has awarded its prestigious scholarship annually to high school seniors based on their demonstrated work to support the four pillars of NHS membership: scholarship, service, leadership, and character. To date, the program has awarded more than $19 million to outstanding NHS senior members.