2023 Willis-Knighton/Independence Bowl Community Service Scholarship Recipients Announced

SHREVEPORT, La. (Nov. 21, 2023) – For 18 years, the Independence Bowl Foundation and Willis-Knighton Health System have partnered to award two $2,500 Community Service Scholarships to one graduating senior from Caddo and Bossier Parishes. The recipients of the 18th annual scholarship are Analyce Jeane from North Caddo Magnet High School and Zachary Cryer from Benton High School.

The annual scholarship has provided 34 students with a total of $85,000 in scholarships throughout the first 17 years of the program. During bowl week, Jeane and Cryer will be honored in front of Independence Bowl Foundation sponsors, officials, and the two participating universities at the Chairman’s VIP Reception.

Analyce Jeane is the first recipient in the scholarship’s history from North Caddo Magnet High School. Cryer is the second from Benton High School, following Kyleigh Tree from last year.

Jeane – Caddo Parish’s recipient – excels in the classroom with a 4.87 current grade point average (GPA). Her success in school has earned her numerous academic honors and achievements. Jeane has been on the Principal’s List all four years at North Caddo Magnet and received the Million Word Award all four years. She has been honored by the National Honor Society for the past three years and Phi Theta Kappa – BPCC for the past two years. Among many other awards, she was named the Red Jackets Sweetheart this year and the FCA Homecoming Sweetheart in 10th grade. 

Jeane has also been involved and a leader in multiple clubs and organizations outside the classroom. Through all four years of high school, she has been involved in the Interact Service Club, Student Government, Yearbook and Class Officer – rising to leadership positions in all four organizations. She is currently the Vice President of the Interact Service Club and Treasurer in Class Officer. She is also currently the President of the Bridge to Success Internship Program. Other clubs and organizations that Jeane has participated in are the P7 Christian Program, Beta Service Club, Talented Arts Program, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Environmental Club and the Geaux 4 Kids Project.

Analyce Jeane truly understands the value of giving back to her community, as she has served over 500 hours of community service in the past two years. She has served 160 for the Cupcakes for a Cure Breast Cancer Fundraising Campaign at the North Caddo Medical Center. Jeane helped bake, decorate and sell gourmet cupcakes, from which all the profits were donated to the mammography foundation at North Caddo Medical Center. Among many other initiatives Jeane assisted with, she also founded the Bridge to Success Internship Program, which is a program to offer students at North Caddo an opportunity to explore career options in our community.

Zachary Cryer – the Bossier Parish recipient – is an outstanding student and valuable community member. Cryer sports a 4.40 GPA in the classroom and has been amply recognized for his successes. He is the current valedictorian of the 2024 class at Benton High School. During his senior year, he was named an AP Scholar with Distinction and earned College Board National Recognition. Universities throughout the country have noticed, as he received merit packages from Arkansas, Ole Miss and Louisiana Tech and was accepted into the University of Arkansas Honors College.  

Outside of the classroom, Cryer has entrenched himself in countless clubs and organizations. Throughout the past four years, he has been deeply involved and been a part of the leadership of Benton 4-H, Bossier Parish 4-H, Louisiana 4-H, Student Council, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, BHS Beta Club, R.A.K. Club and BHS Quiz Bowl – among many others. Cryer currently serves as the President of Benton 4-H, Louisiana 4-H and BHS Quiz Bowl. He has been in leadership positions for 11 organizations throughout high school. During his freshman and sophomore years, Cryer was also a member of the Benton High basketball and track and field teams – being named to the Academic All-State basketball team in 10th grade.

Cryer also has a strong track record of serving his community through various organizations – racking up over 500 hours of community service. He spent hundreds of hours volunteering at Kingston Elementary – assisting with the Book Fair, working in the library, volunteering at the Fall Festival and reading stories to elementary school kids. He also volunteered hundreds more hours with Louisiana 4-H JLC, LOST Camp, Red River Revel, Mudbug Madness, Geaux 4 Kids, and many others. 

The 47th edition of the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl is set for Saturday, December 16 at 8:15 p.m. between the Big 12 Conference and Pac-12 Conference. Various ticket options are on sale now for the Saturday night playing of Shreveport-Bossier’s annual bowl game. Endzone Bench, Sideline Bench and Sideline Chairback tickets are available at RadianceTechnologiesIndependenceBowl.com/tickets. Great ticket packages – including group tickets, Family Four-Packs, Small Business Fan-Packs and premium options – are available online or by calling the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl office at 318.221.0712 or toll-free at 888.414.BOWL.

Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl Week will also feature many free and ticketed events for local and traveling fans of all ages to enjoy. The FCA Breakfast will kick off the public event schedule on Thursday, December 14 at 7:30 a.m. at Riverview Hall. The following night, the eve of the 2023 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl, local and traveling fans will all gather in the East Bank District for the free Rally on the Red. The Rally on the Red will feature four free events from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, December 15. Finally, on game day on Saturday, December 16, the week of public events will culminate with Coca-Cola Fan Fest from 12-7:30 p.m. in the Silver Lot outside of Independence Stadium – leading fans into the 8:15 p.m. kickoff of the 47th Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl.

Fans can plan their trip to Shreveport for the 2023 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl at www.FindYourLouisiana.com. For information on Independence Stadium rules and the clear bag policy, please visit RadianceTechnologiesIndependenceBowl.com/stadium-rules/.

ABOUT THE RADIANCE TECHNOLOGIES INDEPENDENCE BOWL™

Established in 1976, the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl™ is college football’s 11th most-historic bowl game – celebrating its 47th edition on Saturday, December 16, 2023 at 8:15 p.m. CT with a matchup of the Big 12 Conference and Pac-12 Conference on ESPN. The Independence Bowl Foundation announced a one-year extension with Radiance Technologies – ensuring they will be the title sponsor through 2025. The bowl’s conference, team, and television agreements also run through the 2025 season. Army West Point and the Big 12 are slated to match up against a rotation of the Pac-12 Conference, American Athletic Conference and Conference USA, which will be televised on an ESPN network.

The Independence Bowl Foundation is prevalent in the Shreveport-Bossier City area throughout the year, hosting events to help enhance the economic impact and growth of our community. The Mission of the Independence Bowl is to attract and provide quality, nationally recognized football competition oriented to the Ark-La-Tex region. For more information, visit RadianceTechnologiesIndependenceBowl.com or follow the bowl on Facebook, X and Instagram at @IndyBowl.