2015 senior varsity cheerleader McKinzy Lewis received a scholarship for cheerleading at Missouri Baptist. This was the first scholarship received for cheerleading since 2010.

Lewis has been cheering since she was five year old, but it was not until high school that she started to take it seriously.

“I started it as a hobby, but junior year I realized I could not imagine my life without it,” Lewis said.

Participating in various tournaments with her cheer team has helped structure not only her determination, but also her motivation to help her reach these goals.

“I had so much help, without my mom, Coach Swallow, and my team I couldn’t of done this at all,” Lewis said.

Being involved in such an environment helped show Lewis that any dream can be possible if she worked enough.  From a high school cheerleader playing in a gymnasium, to being noticed by colleges, Lewis has made a new bridge to her future.

“I was confident in her because she has been pushing herself to learn a lot these last two years I have coached here,” coach Danielle Swallow said.

Lewis was not the only one to experience this success; her cousin received a college scholarship for cheerleading as well. So these special attributes are one that these family members share.

“This is my first scholarship for a cheerleader since my time being head coach, this is also the first time that we had a cheerleading scholarship since 2010, that being her cousin Gerica Glaspy,” Swallow said.