Jada Heights image via Lady Heat Basketball in Fresno

Jada Heights is a first team all-CMAC player. However, the senior guard at Edison High School does not want to be defined by basketball.

“I feel like it is so important to give back to my community,” Heights said. “Because most people see me as one way — on the court, as an athlete. To be honest, I feel like giving back to my community actually shows character, who I am.”

A graduating senior with a 3.3 GPA, she is the winner of this year’s Peter G. Mehas Memorial Scholarship, presented by the Fresno County Athletic Hall of Fame and Fresno Lexus.

The scholarship, worth $2,500, has been given each year since 2015. Named in honor of the late Pete Mehas, a longtime president of the Hall of Fame, the award recognizes a graduating senior student-athlete from Edison High School who has demonstrated exemplary team spirit and leadership.

“He kinda had a lot in common with my parents,” Heights said of Mehas. “They had to learn how to work hard at a younger age. He was a leader, and my parents are leaders to me. That’s how I want to be remembered — as a leader and an all-around good person.”

Heights will be attending the University of Saint Katherine in San Marcos in San Diego County in the fall. She will play basketball for the school and is currently undecided on a major.