Shakayah Watson (right), a junior at Shiloh High School in Snellville, Georgia, plays three sports and loves to draw and paint. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL. – Shakayah Watson walked up and took the microphone with her right hand. Moments earlier, she had hande d over her drawing of a superhero to famed artist Nikkolas Smith with that same hand, and now she was about to briefly explain who that superhero was on the page.  Dressed in a yellow Disney Dreamers Academy t-shirt and denim shorts, she described her drawing to her fellow Disney Dreamers as follows: “I made a superhero that could time-travel and maybe alter things that have happened in the past, because right now I feel like we are re-living things from the past instead of learning from our past experiences.”  The superhero’s name is KI5 (pronounced Ki-Five). Watson said she enjoyed presenting her drawing to her fellow Disney Dreamers. Along with sports, she fancies herself an artist off the court, and enjoys conveying her creativity on canvases and in sketchbooks.  “I’m a painting and drawing fanatic, and I love expressing myself through art,” she said. “The way it came out, I loved the meaning behind it, too.”  Watson, a junior student-athlete at Shiloh High School in Snellville, is used to being on stage in front of her peers. She plays basketball and volleyball for competitive programs at the Atlanta-area high school. She considers volleyball her favorite and best sport, and hopes to continue playing on the collegiate level. Watson isn’t against playing college basketball, though, and has her eyes on Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Florida AM University. The Tallahassee campus is close enough to home without being too close, she explained.  Watson (right) got to meet WNBA star A’ja Wilson during the week-long academy. A junior, Watson wants to play volleyball in college one day. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice Asked what being a successful multi-sport athlete has done for her self-confidence and ability to be prepared to perform in front of crowds, Watson answered, “Everything.” Being more specific, Watson, 17, said, “It definitely helped me with time management, because when it comes to playing games with clubs and AAU, my dad taught me to be at least 15 minutes earlier.”  Watson said she usually arrives 20-30 minutes early in order to warm up and think through the game ahead. This spring, she started playing on her school’s tennis team. Another sport, another opportunity to compete. She told The Atlanta Voice that sports have also helped her with confidence.   “Sports have helped me prepare myself as a young adult,” Watson said. “It’s helped me with how I show up in life. I don’t just show up, I’m learning how to show up mentally prepared and in a more confident manner.”  During day three of the academy, Watson and three other student-athletes/Dreamers got a chance to meet  “I spoke it into existence, actually,” Watson said. “I told my mom that if I saw her, I was going to hug her and ask her some questions.”  Watson said she loved talking to Wilson and considers her an inspiration as a fellow 6-foot-four female athlete. “We were side-by-side, I got to hug her, we’re the same height, it was so good talking to her.”  Her overall Disney Dreamers Academy experience was summed up in a few short sentences: “I loved it. It was so good.”  The post Disney Dreamers Academy presents Shakayah Watson: Time Traveler appeared first on The Atlanta Voice. ...read more read less