The Gallup Rotary Club named St. Michael Indian School graduate Aliandrea Upshaw its Senior of the Year.

She also was awarded the $500 Gallup Lumber Scholarship and $1,000 Honorable Mention Scholarship, St. Michael Indian School reported on its Facebook page.

Upshaw graduated from St. Michael Indian School located near the Navajo Reservation in Saint Michaels, Arizona. In high school, she was on the cross-country team. Her mother was the cross-country team coach.

"At a very young age, my grandparents taught me that down here on the reservation, running is a very sacred thing to our people," Upshaw told the Arizona Republic. "You get up every morning and you pray and you run.”

She plans to study biology at the University of New Mexico, according to a biographical YouTube video.

The Gallup Rotary Club has been supporting local education and youth since 1929. It has awarded more than $305,000 in scholarships over the years. Its staff members also serve as advocates for young people and other members of the community.