By By Matthew Nascone
Like maybe every other girl in the world, Heather White likes to shop. What might not be known about the junior Escambia Academy Lady Cougar is she also likes to learn about history.
This desire for knowledge has let White understand and appreciate what has happened in the past.
"I love social studies and I do really well in there because I like the class," she said. "It allows us to appreciate the past and not forget what people have done before us."
White is the sixth man for the Lady Cougars basketball team at EA and head coach Heath Gibson knows she is something special.
"She is a hard worker who works even harder when I am not around," Gibson said "In P. E. class she will not sit around waiting for the bell to ring, she will pick up a basketball and shoot. That is true dedication."
Dedication is also a key element of what White likes about Escambia Academy. She transferred to the Academy this year after spending her freshman and sophomore years at Escambia County High School.
"The classroom is so much smaller and there is more individual attention and I like that," she said.
White was able to transfer to the Academy as the Poarch Band of Creek Indians helped her parents, Joe and Lena White, with grants.
"When I found out I could receive grants I definitely wanted to transfer to EA," White said. "I primarily moved here for softball, but I love everything about it now."
As far as basketball goes, Gibson said White has been a big help this season.
"She has given us a lot of time off the bench as our sixth man and she has a great shooting touch," Gibson said. "She gets good looks and she can knock down the clutch shot if we need that."
Sports have been a part of White's life for as long as she can remember and she has always had a companion to play with or against. That competition would come in the form of her sister, Shelly White and her brother, fellow EA basketball player, James White.
"My sister and I would always be playing softball and I appreciate everything I have learned from her," Heather White said. "And my brother and I would always be playing each other on the basketball court. I could beat him until he grew too tall for me to guard."
White plans to attend college after Escambia Academy and said she would like to attend Faulkner State, Jefferson Davis or Alabama. She does not know exactly what she wants to do with her life, but she envisions sports being a part of it.
"My passion is sports and I know I want to be involved with sports," Heather White said. Maybe I will be in sports management, which would be fun. And I want to try and stay around here."