FEATURE – Five Who Thrive, Shanay Briscoe

The first letter arrived when she was only in eighth grade. The words inked onto the page expressed an interest in her athletic ability, along with a request to keep UCLA in mind when she selected a college — a decision she wouldn’t make for another four years. Clutching the handwritten note, she didn’t quite understand what the letter signified. She simply thought “it was cool” that a college wrote her a letter. But her mother understood what the letter meant. Her daughter hadn’t even reached high school, and the rumors about her potential had already started buzzing on the college track and field circuit.

Three years before the Bruins postmarked that letter, Shanay Briscoe found her way to the track by following directly in her sister’s footsteps. She attended a summer practice with her older sister Shaude, and spent the entire morning running in circles. Her mother decided to add…
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