#Wyostrong stories, brought to you by Wyoming Community Bank, highlight Wyoming perseverance, ingenuity, creativity, and resilience.
(St. Stephens, WY) – Former Lady Eagle Lyndsay Harris just wrapped up her first semester as a junior at Briar Cliff University in Iowa. In the spring of 2020, she signed to play two years of basketball with the university after playing two years at Little Priest Tribal College.
Making the transition from a small junior college with around 200 students to a university of over 1,000 was a big step, Harris explained. “The professors are more strict, and the classes are a lot more difficult.”
Harris is studying criminology and faced the academic difficulty of Briar Cliff head-on. She maintained a high GPA and just received an academic scholarship that covers the majority of her tuition.
While her first basketball season at Briar Cliff did not go as planned due to the pandemic; she has the opportunity to play the two years she signed on for and is looking into adding a minor.
St. Stephens School Superintendent Frank No Runner shared with County 10 that his memory of Harris is her love of basketball. “She would always ask me for help with her vertical, and I would say, ‘How about math and science first?'”
The No Runner family set up a scholarship fund in memory of their daughter, Jordynn Rayne, in 2008. Students who are awarded the scholarship receive $250 per semester until they pass 60 college credits, then the scholarship amount increases to $350 per semester.
Harris is the first student receiving the Jordynn Rayne Memorial Scholarship to pass 60 college credits, No Runner shared. “I am hoping Lyndsay will walk across that stage one day with a bachelor’s degree. We are really proud of her. Not only is she doing awesome for her family and tribe, but for our school.”
Harris told County 10, “I hope to inspire other kids to go to college, especially St. Stephens kids. I want them to know it’s possible.”
She shared some advice for students leaving high school: study for the ACT, start applying for a lot of scholarships, and get ready academically. “If you are going in for sports, you are going to work on that too. And be mentally ready to go to school.”
Harris shared she is thankful for everyone’s support, it keeps her going.
