Shakaola Amaree’ Blackburn

Miss Black Kentucky USA 2005

Miss Black Kentucky 2005, Shakaola Blackburn, graduated from Louisville Kentucky’ Male Traditional High School in 2001.  While in high school Shakaola received numerous accolades: Governor Scholar, Whitney M. Young Scholar, Who’s Who Among American High School Students Award, Varsity Letter for cheerleading, Miss Male High School Award, Athlete of the Month, Honor Roll, Junior Miss Academic Winner, Class President, a member of the National Honor Society, and Beta Club.

A senior at the University of Louisville, Shakaola will graduate from the Nursing Program, magna cum laude in December 2005.  After earning her master’s degree, she will begin her career as a nurse practitioner in women’s health and research and work towards a doctorate in medicine.

A very accomplished young woman, Shakaola has trained in voice, music, drama, dance, art, modeling, and even received a university letterman’s jacket for women’s rowing as a member of the University of Louisville Women’s rowing team. Among her scholastic achievements, Shakaola has been a regular on the Dean’s List since her freshman year of college.  She is a Woodford R. Porter Scholar, and she is on the Athletic Honor Roll, she was the recipient of the African American Recognition Award for obtaining a 4.0 GPA.  Shakaola is a member of Freshman L.E.A.D, and a member of the Golden Key Honour Society.  She is also a member and Vice-President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Beta Epsilon Chapter, vice-president of the Kentucky Association of Nursing Students (KANS), and she was president of INDE (Initiatives for Nursing Diversity and Excellence).

A role model for young women, Shakaola was an ESSENCE mentor for high school females, and former Health Committee chair of her sorority.

Shakaola is a champion of HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention –especially in the African American community.  She is part of the Volunteers of America STOP (Stop the Spread of HIV and AIDS through Testing, Outreach, and Prevention) and she has organized an HIV/AIDS and STD Awareness Program at the University of Louisville. 

As Miss Black Kentucky, Shakaola volunteers as a tutor in the “Every 1 Reads” Program, an education initiative to have every child in the public school system reading on grade level by fall 2008. 

Shakaola has a dynamic personality accompanied by a smile that brings joy to all around her.  She has lived in Okinawa, Japan and New Mexico. She is very involved in her church, and loves reading, writing, dancing, singing, modeling, exercising, and spending time with her family.