Our August Cheerleader of the Month, Andrea Stickel, is one of a kind. Not only is she a hard-core athlete as a cheerleader at Nor Cal Elite All-Stars in San Jose, CA, but she’s also a great humanitarian. Andrea was only a freshman when she came up with the idea to form the charity STAK (Save the African Kids), but she’s not one to let age stop her from making a difference in the world.
But that just scratches the surface of this amazing 18-year-old. Take a look at the top 10 reasons we think Andrea rocks!
1. She doesn’t rest on her laurels. “I really love every aspect of cheerleading, but if I had to narrow it down, I’d say my favorite part is stunting and tumbling. In these two aspects of cheer it’s easy to know when you’re getting better and improving by the skills you’re able to do. I love the feeling of mastering a new stunt or tumbling pass; it gives me something to work toward.”
2. The girl’s got talent. “I’ve been both a top girl and a base, and my favorite stunt’s a full-up, Bow-N-Arrow, Spike double-down. My most impressive tumbling skills include three handsprings to a full, and a standing tuck.”
3. She’s not afraid to laugh at herself. “I was at a competition once and when I went up with my stunt group, I lost my balance, but didn’t want to lose points by having the stunt come down to the floor. So I tried to save it by sitting awkwardly on my base’s shoulder with one of my legs wrapped around her. I tried to work it by putting my arms up, posing and acting like that was how the stunt was supposed to be. Afterwards, everyone said I looked sort of like a monkey on her back and that it was the funniest thing they’d ever seen. But hey, at least I saved the stunt!”
4. She’s selfless. “I’m most proud of starting a charity called STAK (Save The African Kids) during my freshman year. Since then, we’ve raised tens of thousands of dollars for children orphaned due to AIDS, and I’ve led two teams over to Africa to help build shelters for the children.”
5. She holds herself up to high standards. “I have good morals and values, and I’ve established some clear boundaries for myself. Knowing these boundaries ahead of time makes it easier for me to stay on the right path, especially when faced with peer pressure. I’ve also always had a strong sense of right and wrong, and I while I admit there are sometimes temptations to behave less than admirably, I always try to take the high road in every situation. It’s just who I am.”
About admin
2 responses so far ↓
Amber Jul 5, 2011 at 9:42 pm
i looove nor cal <3 the gym is sooo sweet <3
Kelsey Jul 7, 2011 at 12:52 am
its great to see nor cal being recognized most importantly its wonderful talented athletes
Comment or Share Your Experience