A Lesson In Perseverance by Angel

A Lesson In Perseverance by Angel - May 2026 Scholarship Essay

“In second place…” (drumroll)... “The Chargers from Mustang Cheer!”

Huddled on stage with my All Star cheerleading team, I feel a wave of excitement and emotion wash over me. Not because my team was just announced as the second place finisher in the final national championship of the season. But because my team is the last team on the stage whose placement has not yet been announced.

“That means your 2025 first place national D2 Summit Champions are…” I can’t even hear the announcer's final words, as my entire team jumps up screaming with excitement and joy. All of our hard work, seemingly endless practices, late nights, and criticisms from our coaches has paid off.

To think that halfway through the season, I almost quit. The practices, sometimes 6 nights per week, in addition to full days of school, and needing to find time for homework and studying, were taking a toll on me. Not only mentally, but physically. During the competition, you only see a team perform their routine on stage once. But during the 3 hour practices, it’s a constant rehearsal of the routine over and over and over again. To say I would be completely exhausted after practice would be an understatement.

People think of cheerleading as holding pom poms and cheering for your team. Competitive cheer is nothing like that at all. In my case, it is lifting 90 pound girls into the air, and sometimes throwing and catching them in my arms. It’s performing floor exercises like you see in Olympic gymnastics. Back handsprings, Back tucks, Jumps. It is a very athletic sport and takes the same amount of practice and coordination with your teammates as football or basketball, if you want to be national champions.

In addition to All Star cheer, I was also doing cheer at my high school. Of course the schedules of practices and games would overlap between the two activities, meaning I would have to miss one, since I haven’t yet figured out a way to be in two places at the same time. This would leave one of my coaches upset and feeling like I was not keeping up with my commitment to the team. This was so hard for me, as I always want to keep my commitments and I never want anyone, including a coach, to be disappointed in me.

At one point, I became so overwhelmed that I told my parents I wanted to quit the All Star team and just stick with high school cheer. My parents were supportive because they saw how overwhelmed and exhausted I was. Yes, the team would have to find a replacement for me, but we hadn’t yet held our first competition, so it would give the coaches time to find someone else. I felt a sense of relief, but also a sense of disappointment, like I was failing myself and the team. If the other girls could handle it all, why couldn’t I? After many tears and back and forth in my mind, deep down I didn’t want to give up and feel like I was failing myself and others. I finally made the tough decision that I would push through the competition season even though I knew it would continue to be hard.

Now, in the excitement of the moment, being on that stage with tears streaming down my face, confetti falling from the ceiling, hugging my teammates and coaches, I am so happy that I decided to persevere in the face of difficulty. My parents told me afterward that they were so proud of me for pushing through, even though it was hard. And I was proud of myself too. Today, when I look at that first place medal hanging on my wall, I don’t think about the excitement of that victory, but of the lesson in perseverance that I taught myself and that will last for a lifetime.