Allison Cawthon smiles in a recent photograph taken before graduating high school. Walking across the stage would represent the culmination of great dedication and sustained hard work in one of the top schools in the nation for the young Choctaw performer. Soon, she would be moving to Florida in pursuit of an education from her ideal music school.
Cawthon Takes Next Step with Lifelong Dream
Allison Cawthon graduated from Plano West Senior High School in Plano, Texas last June and now, with the help of the Choctaw Nation, intends to continue her academic journey at one of the best music schools in the world: the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami.
She earned a 2030 on the SAT, a 3.95 GPA, and placed in the top 25% in her class upon graduation at a school in the top 1% in the U.S. She also became a member of the National Honor Society, French National Honor Society, and was a Ventures Scholar.
“Some people are born to invent; some people are born to play sports; I was born to inspire the world through music,” Cawthon said.
Her voice is her main instrument, but Cawthon said she also picked up acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, and keyboard in her efforts to inspire emotion in others.
At age 18, she is following the dream she has had since childhood, and according to Cawthon, her parents have been supportive from the beginning. “Most parents, if they heard that their child wanted to pursue music as their career, would force their child to choose a more ‘practical’ career path,” she said. “But my parents have always supported my dreams.”
Cawthon’s parents, Kevin and Mary Cawthon, taught her happiness comes from doing what you love and not from money. To help her on her path, they flew with her across the United States to audition at the best music schools to give her the best opportunities possible.
In the end, Cawthon said, she aims to earn a Ph.D. and teach at the collegiate level.
A combination of Cawthon’s upbringing, her own strong drive, and a few nudges from the Choctaw Nation are some of the things Cawthon gives credit to in her success.
In particular, she remembers the Ivy League and Friends conference put on by the Nation, which she said allowed her to meet with many colleges that she had never before considered. She also recalled the Choctaw-funded Princeton Review SAT Prep Course, which she said allowed her to score so well on the test, helping her get accepted to her ideal college.
“I would like to thank the Choctaw Nation for the amazing support I received,” Cawthon said. “I feel so proud of my heritage, and I am so happy that Native Americans today have the opportunity to go to college and be successful.”