By Derrick Smith

A role model can be anyone that someone looks up to. For athletes, their role model is usually someone that plays the same sport or a well-known athlete. That is not the case for Emma Samples. The cheerleader says that the person she looks up to the most is an actor that persevered and ended up succeeding.

“Actor Lin-Manuel Miranda has made a big impact on my life,” she said. “He did not ever give up, even when people laughed at him. He stuck with his dream and it really paid off for him.”
Samples, a sophomore at Marlow High School, is a backspot on the varsity cheer team. She began cheering when she was in the seventh grade and Emma says that she has done a lot to get to where she is today.
“There has been a lot of hard work for me to become the athlete I am today,” she said. “I have also had to stay dedicated, even when things get tough. Even when I hit a rough patch, I’ve had to fight through and I always come out on the other side stronger than before.”
Being a student in the classroom, Samples says that there is one teacher that has helped her be the student she is.
“Ms. McConnell is my favorite teacher,” she said. “She has taught me to keep working hard and believe that I can achieve anything. She is also very encouraging.
Emma has enjoyed making a lot of memories with her squad during her time cheering, but she says that there was one football game that was her favorite.
“Last season, we played Metro Christian in the quarterfinals of the playoffs,” she recalled. “We ended up losing but everyone was hyped for the game. It was great to see everyone come together and show the school spirit.”
When she is not cheering, Emma is involved in other groups around campus. She is a member of the Marlow Outlaw Speech Team (M.O.S.T.), the student council, and she is also in the journalism class.