February 2019 Newsletter: Senior Nasir Rashid to Attend US Air Force Academy

Next fall, Shaker Heights High School Senior and IB Diploma Programme Candidate Nasir Rashid will attend the United States Air Force Academy, where he will also play middle linebacker for the USAFA Falcons. He will sign his National Letter of Intent on February 6.

“This has been the best decision of my life,” Nasir says. “I wanted to play football in college and I wanted to grow as a person. The Air Force Academy will help me have a great career in academics and in athletics.” Nasir says he’s considering focusing his studies on either civil engineering or medicine. 

At Shaker Heights High School, Nasir also has been an active member of the Student Group on Race Relations, where he serves as a core leader, and a four-year member of MAC Scholars. This year, he is the Sergeant of Arms on the High School Student Council and is a Class Council Representative. As an IB Diploma Programme student, Nasir hopes he has inspired other African American students to choose the two-year Programme and to pursue Advanced Placement, Honors and IB classes.

Attending a military academy was not in Nasir’s original plans, but after he visited the Air Force Academy and reflected on his high school decisions and successes, he determined the Air Force Academy was the right place for him. “My time at Shaker and this recruitment process has been an amazing ride. All the people I’ve come to know through athletics as teammates and friends, we’ve all grown together. And it’s all helped me become the leader that I am now,” Nasir says. “I wake up every day thankful to God and to my parents for their support and encouragement. I’m very happy about this opportunity.”