Whiz Kid: Marquette Graduate Receives Scholarship for Community Service

Courtnie Henson, a 2011 graduate of , was an active member of her high school community and is involved in the arts. She is also a community volunteer who recruited her peers and developed a mentoring project for youth in need. 

Her work in the community was honored with a $2,000 AXA Achievements Community Scholarship. The award was at AXA Advisors’ St. Louis Branch June 8. AXA Advisors is a subsidiary of Equitable Life Insurance and provides more than $1.3 million in scholarships annually.

In addition to the Achievements Community Scholarship, Henson received scholarships from Education Research of America, Charter Communications, Alpha Kappa Alpha and an award from student council. “College is still expensive,” Courtnie said, “so this summer I’m working as a nanny and tutor, and at California Pizza Kitchen.”

Henson and her friends began their community service project in 2010. “I recruited other students and we started a program for disadvantaged youth. We teach arts and athletics, so these kids develop a passion for something they can look to as they grow up and get older,” Courtnie said. “We work with young middle schoolers in the South City area.”

Theatre is one of Courtnie’s passions.  Last summer, she performed the lead in the St. Louis Center for Creative Arts’ production of Aida. “I started performing in middle school, and I’ve taken a few classes, but mostly I just sing in my kitchen,” she said. “I’ve done a lot of theatre in high school, and I like acting and singing.” 

Courtnie will head to Spelman College in Atlanta in the fall.  “I’m very excited. I plan to study drama and economics. Glad to be done with high school and ready to take the next step,” she said. 

Courtnie is the daughter of David and Vickie Henson.