Spirit Squad Spotlight: Cheer Team Seniors
11/7/2014 12:00:00 AM | Spirit Department
Nov. 17, 2014
The Michigan spirit squads are loaded with students who are committed to wearing the block M with pride. They represent the Wolverines on the sidelines at Michigan Stadium, courtside at Crisler Center, and in their own annual national competitions. They dedicate long hours at practice and are always there to support their fellow student-athletes.
Leading up to Senior Day on Nov. 22 when football hosts Maryland, MGoBlue.com will be profiling the seniors who selflessly perform for the Maize and Blue. In this series, you will meet the dedicated student-athletes who will graduate soon and go on to truly embody what it means to be the leaders and best.
Hometown: Eastpointe, Mich.
Major: Nuclear engineering and radiological sciences
Hobbies: Video games and comics
Why did you join the Michigan cheer team?
My best friend was on the team here at Michigan he convinced me to join.
Who is your role model?
My dad
What is your dream job?
Managing a nuclear power plant
What is your hidden talent?
I'm really good at Marco Polo
Who is in your Twitter avatar with you?
My teammates Jessica and Carlin, and the back of Trevor's head
What celebrity would you like to Facebook friends with?
None, I'd rather be real life friends with Tom Brady.
Favorites
» Class: Thermo hydraulics of a nuclear system because it's harder than it sounds.
» Building on Campus: Cooley on North Campus, because I pretty much live there (it's the nuclear engineering building)
» TV Show: The Walking Dead because it has everything and ZOMBIES!
» Book: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
» Sport: Basketball because I'm good at it and I've made many friends through it.
» Song to Karaoke: Hooked on a Feeling
» Food: My mom's meatloaf is the best food ever.
» Athlete: Denard Robinson because he has overcome so much and he is a great person.
» Place to Visit: San Diego because it's warm and beautiful.
Hometown: Libertyville, Ill.
Major: Business Administration
Hobbies: I love to read in my spare time, but lately I've just been trying to spend as much time with my friends as possible since we'll all be living in different places after graduation
How did you first get involved with cheer?
I've been cheering since the end of sixth grade and was a gymnast before that. I did competitive cheer first then switched to cheering at games and competing in high school.
Why did you join the Michigan cheer team?
I knew that I wanted to cheer in college wherever I went, so I focused on picking the school for academics. When I discovered Michigan's rich athletic tradition, I knew it was the perfect fit.
Who is your role model?
My grandmother, she is the strongest and most faith-filled person I have ever met.
What is your dream job?
I want to work on an advertising campaign that gets aired during the Super Bowl.
What is your hidden talent?
I can throw a football with a really good spiral.
What is one quirk people do not know about you?
I have moved six times, lived on both coasts and in the Midwest.
Favorites
» Class: My favorite class so far has been BA 201-Business Thought and Action. It taught me how to think about companies as a whole and how many factors can affect a business decision.
» Study Spot: The upper floors of the Ross Business School -- it's quiet enough that you can really get your work done, but it is also a comfortable area so working for long periods doesn't seem as bad.
» TV Show: Friends! I've seen every episode more times than I'd like to admit and quote it along with each episode.
» Book: The Catcher in the Rye -- I read it for the first time in high school and loved it. The main character is very weird so hearing the story from his perspective makes it super interesting. I love to read and always have.
» Musician: Eric Church is my current favorite. I love country music, his voice is so unique and he sings about a variety of topics so it doesn't get boring.
» Song to Karaoke: Meet Virginia -- I don't know why, though.
» Food: Pasta with sauce on the side has been my favorite food since I was little. It reminds me of home.
» Athlete: Shannon Miller -- I was a gymnast when I was younger and lived in Boston when the Olympic Trials were there. I was so excited to see her that I followed her competition scores all year and then got to see her perform in the trials.
» Place to Visit: Anywhere in Western Europe -- the culture is so based in history and the people are so family-oriented that I always feel at home.
Hometown: Detroit, Mich.
Major: Computational Informatics
Hobbies: Playing board games and catching up on various TV and Anime series that I watch and read
How did you first get involved with cheer?
My friend (and now coach) Dominic Haywood was on the team and I asked him what it was all about because it looked fun.
Why did you join the Michigan cheer team?
I was born a Michigan fan, with my mother and aunt having graduated from U-M. So I grew up idolizing Michigan athletes, and an opportunity to be on the same field/court where my childhood idols played was something I could not pass up.
What is your hidden talent?
Acting. I did a lot of it when I was younger and in college I have worked with WOLV-TV on The Ultimate Sports Show.
What is your dream job?
To be the announcer for the Detroit Pistons so I could put my catchphrases to use and be front and center to watch my favorite sports team.
Who is in your Twitter avatar with you?
For Twitter, it's a picture of my brother's wedding with my sister-in-law and all the groomsmen. On Instagram, it's the Heisman Trophy.
What is one quirk people do not know about you?
I like to come up with random catchphrases for big plays during sports games -- I usually break them out when playing video games with friends. One of my favorites is "Make it Loud."
Favorites
» Class: EDUC 222. It was about the educational practicality of video games. It was the first class that allowed me to learn about how video games are made from a storyline perspective. As a person who eventually wants to make games for a living, it was very eye-opening.
» Building on Campus: The Duderstadt Center has my favorite place to study -- the Engineering Learning Center -- and my favorite place to relax with the computer and video game archive.
» Food: Chicken alfredo pasta is easy to make and always tastes good.
» Song to Karaoke: "Beat It" by Michael Jackson -- I even learned the choreography to it.
» TV Show: Arrow, lots of action and great character development. The show does a great job of adding realism to the DC comic universe.
» Musician: Outkast -- the music that they make never gets old to me and always serves as a pick-me-up.
» Athlete: Calvin "Megatron" Johnson. I'm a huge Lions fan and there is no bigger player on that team than Calvin.
» Sport: Basketball, it has frequent scoring and lots of game action.
» U-M Memory: Running out of the tunnel for my first football game. With 100,000-plus fans singing "The Victors," there was no better feeling.
Previous Spotlights
• Nov. 3, 2014 (Carly Pinkerton, Ira Brandon)
• Oct. 27, 2014 (Nate Janes, Annie Dreisbach)
• Oct. 21, 2014 (Brandon Kittle, Carlin Delisi)
• Oct. 13, 2014 (Chris Fraga, Cassandra Gelov)
