Meet the 2026 Recipient of the Black Excellence Scholarship
USL Sacramento Republic FC

Meet the 2026 Recipient of the Black Excellence Scholarship

Published on March 11, 2026 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Sacramento Republic FC News Release


As the halftime whistle blew at Opening Night, Republic FC and the Capital Black Chamber of Commerce celebrated Shamara Thompson as this year's recipient of the annual Black Excellence Student Scholarship. She is currently a Junior at Sacramento State studying nursing.

Inspired by her experience as her mother's primary caretaker, she is committed to extending her impact in the community with compassion, dignity, consistency and patience. "[My] experiences confirmed that nursing is not simply a career choice for me, but a calling shaped by lived experience," Thompson said.

After balancing a full-time online high school diploma program and serving as her mother's full-time caretaker, Shamara began her college studies at Sierra College before transferring to Sac State and has since built up a strong presence outside the classroom and in her community. She is a member of the Black Honors College, participating in leadership centered courses and events, the Martin Luther King Jr. program and initiatives such as Sista Circle and Mentor to Mentor, programs that emphasize empowerment, mentorship, and community building.

While her path hasn't always looked traditional, service has remained central to Shamara's character and has had a transformational power in her life. "Service, for me, is not limited to formal titles or structured volunteer hours. It is a mindset rooted in responsibility and care," Thompson said.

Among an impressive group of applicants, Shamara was selected as this year's winner by a panel of local Black leaders, including Kaifa Yates from the Capital Black Chamber of Commerce, Republic FC defender Ryan Spaulding, and last year's Black Excellence Scholarship recipient, Kameesha Scott.

This was the first time since the scholarship's creation that the previous year's recipient was a member of the review panel, a full circle moment for Kamesha that also showed the scholarship's lasting impact on empowering future leaders. As she read through countless applications, Kameesha said she was looking for specific factors in each one to be considered a top contender for the award.

"The biggest thing I was looking for is 'how have they contributed to their community?' I feel like volunteer work is heavy these days, and it's needed," Scott said. "A lot of the candidates had given a lot of great community work, but I felt a very deep connection to the person that I was reading,"

Shamara was awarded $1,000 to support her academic pursuits, was recognized at half-time and treated to a VIP Sacramento Republic FC match-day experience with her family and friends.

The next scholarship in Republic FC's Republic Rising Scholars program is the Community Pride Scholarship. This scholarship is a partnership with the Sacramento LGBT Community Center and will be open for applications in May.

Check out the Sacramento Republic FC Statistics

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