By KEVIN EDWARDS
Staff Writer
Pillow Academy senior Dia Chawla of Greenwood has been named the national female winner in the 2021 Heisman High School Scholarship program, which honors outstanding scholar-athletes.
Chawla, 18, who beat out five other female finalists, joins male recipient Adom Appiah of Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Recipients of the annual award are honored in New York as part of the ceremonies surrounding the presentation of college football’s Heisman Trophy, given to the nation’s top player. That award will be given Dec. 11.
Chawla earned the High School Heisman for Mississippi before advancing to the national round.
She will receive a $10,000 scholarship, in addition to the $2,000 scholarship she won as a national finalist and a $1,000 scholarship for being a state winner.
Chawla said she received the news on Wednesday morning.
“I felt pretty calm because I hadn’t expected to even get to this stage,” she said. “A little bit of nerves but really excited. Real excited to see what doors this can open for me and experiences I get to witness now that I’ve won this.”
Her brother, Sunjay, 21, was the male 2018 National High School Heisman Trophy recipient while attending Pillow. He is a finance major at Southern Methodist University.
Dia Chawla has a long list of awards in both academics and athletics. She scored a perfect 36 on the ACT and has received numerous scholarships. She was a player on Pillow’s 2020 state championship basketball team, has been a part of two championships with the school’s dance team and has won state tennis championships in both doubles and singles.
She gave credit to her parents, Gauri and Suresh, for pushing her to succeed in academics and athletics when she was at an early age, diversifying her skills and maximizing her potential.
She also gave praise to her older brother.
“Whether it was on purpose or not on purpose, he’s really pushed me to succeed and gain the things that I’ve gained,” she said. “I really want to shout him out for being the greatest role model ever and not just to me but to younger kids as well.”
Suresh Chawla admitted to being “stunned” and at a loss for words over his daughter’s achievement.
“My wife and I feel very blessed,” he said. “We live in a wonderful city that provides incredible opportunities, but we are truly blessed with the teachers and coaches that our two children had at Pillow Academy.”
He said his daughter and son inherited their time management skills and work ethic from his wife.
In addition to her academic and athletic pursuits, Dia said the last several years have introduced her to a new passion: volunteerism. Her most memorable efforts include teaching classes at the Museum of the Mississippi Delta, volunteering at the Boys and Girls Club of the Mississippi Delta and developing an ACT prep class for students at Pillow and Greenwood High School.
“Being able to teach underprivileged students or people that are not as prepared is just so fulfilling to myself,” she said, “and to see them learn as well, it’s one of the greatest feelings as well.”
Pillow’s headmaster, Barrett Donahoe, said Chawla’s awards speak to her work ethic.
“More than anything, she’s a tremendous presence on our campus,” he said.
“She’s involved with student organizations, student government. She participates in athletics and does things that really put her in a position to be a leader, not only for her peers but also for younger students.”
Pillow girls basketball coach Durwin Carpenter said Chawla put in time on and off the court to become the best player she could and proved she could excel both academically and athletically.
“She’s a role model for our team,” he said. “She’s one of our seniors that does a great job with being at practice, working extremely hard.”
Chawla said she is considering several colleges to attend next year including the University of Mississippi, Vanderbilt University, Georgetown University and Washington University in St. Louis. Originally looking to be a pre-med major, she said she is keeping her options open and is also looking into public policy and political science.
She said the Heisman award is proof to her that her hard work has paid off.
“It’s very encouraging,” she said. “It’s a confidence booster. I think this just shows me the importance of, as you raise a child, something I want to do for sure, putting pressure on their ability to do multiple things, be diverse and help others.”
- Contact Kevin Edwards at 662-581-7233 or kedwa-rds@gwcommonwealth.com.
