American Cheerleader

By Brittany Geragotelis

Everything you wanted to know about 17-year-old Cheerleader of the Year winner, Alexa Buffalino, from CC Champs All-Stars and Ramsey HS in New Jersey.

AC: How does it feel to be named our 2009 Cheerleader of the Year?
ALEXA: Wow! It’s just amazing to be honored for something I love to do so much. It’s a dream come true, and I’m truly honored to represent such an esteemed group of athletes.

AC: How has your life changed since you were named Cheerleader of the Month?
ALEXA: It gave me the sense of determination, dedication and drive to work harder than ever, both on the mat and off.

AC: What have you learned through this whole process?
ALEXA: Never did I imagine myself becoming COM, let alone COY, when I was reading my favorite magazine, American Cheerleader, when I was younger!  I’ve learned that anything is possible—and dreams really do come true!

AC: What was the coolest thing to happen to you because of being named COM?
ALEXA: When I was at a competition, a few girls asked me to take pictures with them. I was quite surprised that they recognized me and knew who I was.

AC: You’ve said that cheer helped you get out of your shell. How are you feeling nowadays?
ALEXA: I’ve come a long way and have gotten a lot better about believing in myself and my capabilities. You never stop growing and learning, so I try to apply myself and improve in all areas of my life. I hope that other individuals who are lacking confidence will learn to use cheer to come out of their shells and feel good about themselves, too.

AC: What’s it been like to be a cheer celeb?
ALEXA: It’s awesome to have my name out there in the cheer community, but most of all I feel a responsibility to be the best role model I can possibly be. For instance, one day at practice, I was having a minor meltdown. I was nervous because my stunt wasn’t hitting, and I didn’t feel very confident going into competition. I was especially worried because it was my first competition as COM. Even though it was only a local competition, I felt like everyone would know who I was and be counting on me to do well. I didn’t want to stand out unless I was doing my best, so as not to let the crowd down. In the end, the stunt I’d been so worried about ended up hitting. That’s when I realized that no matter who you are or what your title is, it’s OK to make mistakes. Those named COM aren’t going to have flawless performances all the time. As long as you give it your all and try to do your best, you shouldn’t be ashamed or have any regrets about how you did.

AC: What’s on the horizon for you?
ALEXA: College, definitely. I’m not sure where I’ll be going yet, but I know that cheerleading will still be a part of my life, whether it be for a university or an all-star team.

AC: What advice do you have for other cheerleaders who are hoping to become COM?
ALEXA: It takes hard work and dedication to make anything worthwhile happen in your life.  You must strive to be the best you can be and never give up on yourself.

AC: What do you plan on doing with the scholarship money from winning COY?
ALEXA: I’ll probably save the money to help pay for college.

AC: Anything you want to say to the nearly 5,000 people who voted for you?
ALEXA: To all those who voted for me, thank you from the bottom of my heart! Words can’t express how much this means to me. You all helped to make a dream come true. To the other candidates, I’d just like to say that you’re all beautiful and talented, and I wish you continued success in all that you do. As Cheerleader of the Year, I’ll do my utmost to emulate the highest qualities and character as a role model for the sport of cheerleading.