by Dan Ninham, Contributing Writer
Kayden Holder, Choctaw, is a senior at Nimitz HS in Irving, TX. He’s a varsity athlete in football, wrestling and track.
Holder played both sides of the ball in football. He was a three year starter and was named to the 6A All District Team and Academic All District Team. He recently participated in the Native American All Star Game.
Academics are important to Holder and this will assist him as he prepares for college. He was Magna Cum Laude, as an AP student with a 3.5 GPA.
Holder accumulated the most community service hours in the class of 2025 and has 150 hours this past school year. Service assignments include being a junior coach for football and soccer, volunteering at elementary schools and community events by serving at the local food pantry, representing his football team at cancer benefits, handing out Thanksgiving turkeys and even dressing up as Santa.
He is in his fourth year being a Certified Lifeguard for the City of Irving for aquatics centers during the summer and the senior center during the school year.
Indigenous core values influence how elite athletes practice and compete. “First and foremost, coming from a long line of indigenous warriors that have been resilient and had to overcome adversity – being native American has most definitely influenced how I practice and compete every single day for the past 14 years,” said Holder.
“The three values of the Choctaw Nation are Faith, Family and Culture – all 3 of which I uphold to the highest priority and standard. These are the same core values in which I live my life – not in words, but in actions. I am Choctaw Proud,” added Holder.
“Even though I live in Irving as a part of the Metro Dallas/Fort Worth, I am very connected to my Choctaw roots in Oklahoma,” said Holder. “I spend a lot of time in Durant with my closest family who all came to the Native American All Star game, attending events at the Choctaw Cultural Center, attending Pow Wows, supporting small/local businesses, and eating native foods.”
“I honor my past, live for the present and look forward to the future,” said Holder.
