The Wright Way

An overview of UAHS student athlete Keelan Wright.

BY GRACIE HELFRICH ’23

Keelan Wright moved from Madison, Mississippi, to Columbus, Ohio, in the summer of 2021. e unforeseen move sprung many challenges upon Wright, including assimilating to a new school, making new friends and advancing his athletic career. Cheer was an activity Wright decided to pursue in Columbus. However, he began his cheer career in his hometown of Madison, Mississippi. “I started cheerleading my sophomore year of high school at Ace of Jacks, in Jackson, Mississippi,” Wright said. Wright’s mother Lori dates the start of his love for tumbling and cheer to his early childhood. “He’s always been ipping since he was little — he always said he thought he was Superman,” she said. Wright started competitive cheering his sophomore year of high school at the suggestion of a former classmate. “One of my best friends from back home, they really wanted me to do it because I’ve always been into cheer, like ipping,” Wright said. “I’ve always known how to do it, but they thought I should be on a competitive team.” Unlike his involvement at Upper Arlington, Wright never cheered for his high school team in Madison. “So at Madison, they stunted,” Wright said, referring to a cheerleading derivative that focuses on skill and dexterity. “It was all girls, there were no boys on the cheer team, no one had ever tried out as a boy. I didn’t even try out and they stunted, basically that’s the only di erence, they stunted and UA doesn’t.” Despite the di erences between Madison and Upper Arlington, cheer has helped Wright adjust to his new school. “I 100% would say that cheer did help me get into the new city as a whole and just that [the] cheer team, they were super nice and super excited for me. All the graduated seniors were like ‘ is is so cool,’ ‘No one’s ever done this before,’ [and] ‘I’m so happy that you’re doing this,’” Wright said. “It was very nice.” Senior cheerleader Sydnie Trinh has enjoyed her time on the team with Wright. “He’s always positive,” Trinh said. “He doesn’t have anything bad to say, ever.”

PHOTO BY HAILEY HOFFMAN ’23

Wright’s extroverted personality has been shown through his relationship with his teammates.

“He interacts with everyone,” Trinh said. “He makes it easier to talk to everyone else, too.”

However, the move to UAHS was still at times dif cult for Wright, said Lori Wright, his mother.

“He’s always been a social butter y, so last year when I didn’t get even a little bit of that, it was like, ‘[Keelan], you’re going to have to open up a little bit more — you know, just be yourself,” she said.

Wright spoke more to that anxiety.

“When I moved here, I was very anxious about not having any friends, or, like, just having to t in and be close-knit with people that already have their own set groups,” Wright said.

Having been enrolled at UAHS for over a year now, Wright has adjusted and found places where he is able to showcase his personality and talents. e student body recognized this when it crowned him Homecoming King in September. A highlight, of course, is the Marv Stadium on Friday nights.

“To be next to that student section at the game — oh my gosh — it is completely overwhelming,” Lori said. “I love it for him.”