National Student Athlete Day: Kyrah Allison

April 2, 2024

Kyrah Allison is making a name for herself at Kingsborough Community College. The bubbly young athlete grew up in Greensboro, North Carolina. During COVID, she spent her junior year at a military school in North Carolina, which she describes as challenging and interesting at the same time.

She and her family moved to New York when her father, Bobby Allison, was hired as KCC's athletic director and her mother, Mandy Allison, started working in the FLEX program.

An ASAP student, Kyrah gets help from an advisor, which made the transition from high school to college easier for her. At first, she was nervous because she didn't know anyone. She got involved in campus life by trying out for the volleyball team, even though she'd never played the sport before. Her hard work paid off, as she earned a starting spot. It’s been one of her most triumphant moments so far. "Earning a starting spot even though I'd never played volleyball before was really cool. I put a lot of time into it, and seeing my progress was rewarding," she says.

The student-athlete danced and played softball and basketball throughout her childhood before discovering volleyball at Kingsborough. She is also thinking about joining the college's fashion club.

Kyrah is working on a degree in early childhood development and hopes to graduate in the summer of 2025. She was originally going to major in polysomnographic (sleep) technology, but then realized that working with kids is something she really wants to do. "It was a hard decision because I didn't want to feel like I was quitting," Kyrah says. "But I knew what I had to do because I've always wanted to work with kids."

She hopes to one day run her own daycare center or open a dance studio that also takes care of children during the day.

Some of Kyrah’s tips for students are to make a schedule, space out tasks and assignments, and pay close attention to due dates. She advises new students not to be nervous. "Building bonds with people on teams is what makes college so special. Go to the open gyms and try to join a sport."