When Amberley Becerra tried out for cheer in the third grade, she had no idea how far it would take her. Now a senior at Altus High School, Amberley has experienced competition at the state level, learned valuable life lessons and found a sport where she has family.

“Even if things aren’t going your way you have to stick it out and keep a positive attitude,” she says. This perseverance comes from the many hours spent working as a team perfecting the skills required to be on a competitive cheer squad.

Amberley is passionate about cheer. “I’ve been doing it for a long time, and I love to keep progressing my skills,” she said. She has built skill and made her best memories cheering. Winning state as a freshman and the experience she had at her last OU cheer camp will always be her best memories of cheer.

Her favorite part of cheerleading is how the team has become a family. Many teammates have left big impressions but one stands out. “Kendall Dodson has left the biggest impression on me because I’ve never seen her in a bad mood and she always has a smile on her face even if we are having a tough practice,” Amberley said.

Beyond the good memories, Amberley says she simply enjoys representing her school as an athlete. “It makes me feel good to be able to represent something in a good way.” 

Amberley looks up to her teachers and coaches. “My favorite teacher is Mrs. Lollis from my sophomore year. She helped me learn math better than I have before and she never gave up on me if I didn’t understand right away,” she says. “My coach Jordan Walker inspires me because she is unapologetically herself and is always fun to be around.”

She wants to give a shoutout to all her coaches, Nicole Lamb, Kacie Bates, Jordan Walker, and coach Jay for their supportthrough the years. 

On a personal note, Amberly loves sushi with a good Dr. Pepper and would like to vacation in Greece with her best friends.