WS Chronicle

It is a parents’ dream to have their kid excel in the classroom, but when they can also handle their own on the athletic field of play it’s just an added bonus.  For Treva Sharpe this is exactly what she gets to enjoy with her daughter Jayla Sharpe.

Jayla, who prefers to go by Jay, is a senior at the Early College of Forsyth County but plays varsity basketball for her home school of Reynolds, where she is a starting guard. 

According to Treva, Jay is a well-rounded young lady who truly exemplifies the ideal of intelligence, dedication and team spirit on and off the court.  She also volunteers in the community and church while holding down a part time job as well.

“She is a very smart young lady and I wanted to acknowledge the fact that I am very proud of her and I wanted everyone else to know that,” Treva said of why she wanted an article written about her daughter.

Treva says she started seeing her daughter’s athletic talents around the sixth grade when she was playing middle school basketball.  Once she became more skilled, she ventured out to AAU (Amateur Athletics Union).

“Now basketball has taken over,” said Ms. Sharpe.  “That is her out because that is what she likes to do all the time.”

In the classroom Jay has shined consistently staying on the honor roll throughout high school.  Her mother says Jay knows that if her grades were to drop, then she would have to give up basketball.

Her list of academic honors is long, some of which include the National Society of High School Scholars, The National Honors Society, a Crosby Scholar as well as vice president of her senior class at the Early College.  Her favorite subject in school is anatomy.  Her wish list of colleges is Florida Southern College, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill or the University of Chicago.

For Jay she is mostly attracted to basketball because of the team aspect of it.  She says whenever she is on a team it is more of a family rather than a team.

As a student at the early college she is currently taking college level classes so next June she will graduate with a high school diploma along with an associates degree.  Her dream is to attend a four-year institution and either become an OB/GYN or an EMT.  She recently passed her EMT test and is now certified.

“I wanted to be a pediatrician because I love babies but eventually they grow up so I just thought I could bring them into the world,” Jay said. 

Jay’s basketball coach, TJ Eggers echoed many of the sentiments her mother stated about her.  He feels she is a born leader and a vital part of the Demons varsity team.

“She has innate leadership qualities but lately she has been trying to defer and I have to pull these leadership qualities out of her,” said Eggers.  “When she shows them on the floor and takes charge you can see it in the game.”

“Even when things are going bad she has been doing well with dealing with adversity.  She lifts the other players up and gets on them but not in a negative way.  She will be very successful in whatever she wants to do going forward.”

Ms. Sharpe says she is just as proud of her daughter on the court achievements as she is with her scholastic ones.  She says as a single parent she hears stories about things other single parents have to deal with but luckily she has never had any issues with Jay. 

“I am proud that she has matured to the level that she is very independent and responsible and it makes me feel good that I had a lot to do with that,” Ms. Sharpe said jokingly.