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Clarksdale native Aallyah Wright has been named as the newest board member for the Lower Mississippi River Foundation.
Wright is a reporter for Mississippi Today as the Clarksdale High graduate covers issues in the Delta with a special focus on K-12 education.
Wright graduated from Delta State University with a degree in journalism with a minor in communications and theater. Before joining Mississippi Today as a Delta-based reporter, she worked as an intern for the Bolivar Commercial in 2016.
She also has worked collaboratively with the Center for Investigative Reporting and Reveal alongside the Delta Arts Alliance on an ongoing interactive community news project that created a platform for stories from Cleveland through the lens of history, equality and change titled the Cleveland Yearbook.
"I had always been terrified of interacting with huge masses of water, whether it was stepping into a 13-feet deep swimming pool or enjoying a water ride at an amusement park,” Wright said in a release issued Friday by the LMRF.
“Despite my fears, I decided in July I would go canoeing on the Mississippi with John Ruskey. I was nervous, excited and anxious for a number of reasons, but mainly because I did not know how to swim (still don't by the way).
“Once I got into the canoe and started paddling, I felt free and at peace. We stopped at various islands, picking up unique rocks and pointing out different plants and trees. For the first time, I connected with nature on a level I had never done before. I just felt at home.”
Wright said the experience made her want to be more involved with the LMRF.
“What struck me was their goal to connect more Mississippians to the river to enjoy and be great stewards of the land,” she said. “I am excited to help expand the mission and provide opportunities for youth to experience the river through summer camps, after-school programming and more.
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