NATCHEZ &8212; A cursory glance at Carita Winn&8217;s activity list will tell you she&8217;s a leader.

Meet her in person and you&8217;ll see why.

The Natchez High School senior has a paragraph of clubs, a resume of elected offices and a high school career of appointed honors.

Add one more.

Winn, 17, was recently nominated to compete in the national Principal&8217;s Leadership Award scholarship program, sponsored by the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

Her resume, grades and essay will compete with teens across the country for $1,000 college scholarships to be awarded this spring.

High school principals are allowed to nominate one student based on leadership skills, participation in service organization and clubs, achievements in the arts and sciences, employment experience and academic record.

&8220;We are glad to have Carita as an outstanding student at Natchez High School,&8221; Principal James Loftin said.

This year, Winn is the president of the senior class, but she was also class president during her freshman and junior years. She is Rosette Club Chaplain, Student Council Vice President, a member of the NAACP, the United Way Youth Board, National Honor Society, National Beta Club, Mayor&8217;s Youth Council and is band drum major.

&8220;I apply myself in school and try to put my best foot forward,&8221; she said.

Right now Winn is focused on class president duties to get ready for homecoming. She&8217;ll also lead a team of officers to organize fundraisers and plan the senior trip throughout the year. But some goals are bigger.

&8220;(I want) for the class to make the best of the senior year,&8221; she said. &8220;To come together as a class, make friends with somebody you aren&8217;t close with.&8221;

And she wants to involve the group in a worthwhile community service project.

&8220;I want to start something that will last after we are gone,&8221; she said.

Always a high-performing academic student, Winn plans to go to college next year and major in chemistry or pre-medicine. She is the daughter of Michael and Rita Winn.