Jori Brennan, a sophomore at Jacksonville High School, has been cheering for six years. She has been a member of the Jacksonville High School cheerleading team for two years, cheered on the Turner Junior High School team, and was on the Steven’s cheerleading team when she was in late elementary school.
This summer, the Jacksonville High School cheerleading team attended the Universal Cheerleaders Association camp at Sacred Heart Griffin High School. Try-outs for the All-American Cheerleading squad were also being held. Last minute, Brennan decided to try out.
“I was a little nervous, but I had a good feeling about it,” Brennan recalls. For try-outs, she had to perform a cheer, dance, and jumps. Only fifteen percent of those who tried out made it onto the team, and it is safe to say Brennan’s hard work had definitely paid off.
Brennan found out that she had made the cut the next day and was very excited. “I tried out before and I didn’t make it, so I was really proud of myself for finally making it.”
She will be going to London, England, over Christmas break with the other All-American cheerleaders. She will leave December 26 and return on January 2. While she is there, she will be cheering in the London New Years’ Day parade. She learned her cheer through a DVD that was sent to her. She will also be touring many different spots in London, such as Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and many other historical landmarks.
“This will be my first trip out of the country,” says Brennan. “I’m really looking forward to it.”