About Me

Alyssa Wicks demonstrates a commitment to achieving excellence throughout her high school career. At present, she is a senior focused on excelling in academics, community service, and leadership, constantly seeking opportunities to improve herself and make a positive impact within her school, Saint Teresa High School in Decatur, and the surrounding Central Illinois communities. Wicks is a leader in her school and community and participates in the Mt. Zion Illinois CEO Program. She also serves as a Kairos leader for St. Teresa’s class of 2025, a recognition bestowed upon student leaders who exhibit faith, high academic achievement, and service qualities. She is a member of Holy Family Parish.  Wicks was excited to be part of the 2024 Juneteenth, Inc. in Springfield, IL activities, serving on its Juneteenth teen court. Her strong belief in promoting her culture within the community and enhancing her understanding of it through such activities is evident. Her efforts were recognized when she was crowned Miss Juneteenth 2024 and awarded top talent, top career choice, and top GPA.  During her summers, she traveled to historic sites that tell the stories of enslaved individuals seeking freedom in Illinois through Lincoln Home’s Illinois Freedom project. She is also an alumnus of Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum’s Future Presidents of American Youth Leadership Program, in which she presented a project to the community leaders in Springfield to combat the city’s homelessness issues. Last year, she received a trailblazer scholarship to participate in the 4-H Illini Summer Academies veterinary program at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. This past summer, she studied biology at Spelman College’s Early College Program, a four-week residential program, and earned an A in the course, giving her college credit in biology.    Wicks challenges herself academically by taking rigorous honors, dual enrollment, and advanced placement classes. She has a cumulative GPA of 4.33, is currently ranked 8th in her class, and is the secretary of her school’s chapter of the National Honor Society.    Wicks is active in extracurricular activities. She is co-captain for St. Teresa's football and basketball cheerleading teams. Her teammates recognized her in 2023 as the most academic cheerleader and the best overall cheerleader for 2024. She was a member of her school's tennis and track teams. Wicks has also enjoyed dancing classical ballet for over ten years and has participated in Copper Coin Ballet Company's Nutcracker.