After being named American Cheerleader Magazine's December 2011 Cheerleader of the Month, a Seton Hall senior is in the running for the publication's Cheerleader of the Year title.
According to Christine De La Rosa, she sent information for an open call last year advertised through the magazine's Twitter account, and after a month ACM contacted her asking for further information.
"We were so impressed with your natural ability in front of the camera as well as your background in cheer and we'd love to learn a little more about you," the email stated.
ACM informed De La Rosa that she was being considered for December 2011's Cheerleader of the Month.
After three days of answering approximately 60 questions, De La Rosa said she received a call from ACM's managing editor, who said, "I just have one more question for you. How does it feel to be December's Cheerleader of the Month?"
De La Rosa said the photoshoot for the December 2011 issue, which took place in August, "still feels like one big dream."
"My friends all joke around and ask for autographed copies, and my coach actually received a letter from a ‘fan,'" she added ."It just shows me that I can reach all my goals no matter how big they are because you really never know where life is going to take you."
According to De La Rosa, five other cheerleaders featured in ACM in 2011 are in the running for the title, which will be decided by votes entered via the magazine's website before Feb 14.
When she was 7 years old, De La Rosa began cheering for the Carlstadt/East Rutherford football and cheerleading program in New Jersey, where she said she "fell in love with it immediately."
De La Rosa said she has cheered for the Henry P. Becton Regional High School varsity squad, the Tri-State Cheernastics and Seton Hall's cheerleading squad, which all have earned national rankings at several competitions.
De La Rosa said she feels she has improved as a cheerleader by having more confidence in herself as well as taking on a leadership role with the team.
"Cheerleading is a huge reason I am the way I am today, and I'm so happy to say that," she said.
The sport has evolved throughout the years, De La Rosa said, and has come to mean being passionate, trusting and daring enough to try new stunts.
"One of the best parts about cheerleading is that it also helps build character," she added. "We're the people that connect the fans to the players and we have to make sure we're always giving 100 percent at every event we're doing."
According to De La Rosa, American Cheerleader Magazine's 2011 Cheerleader of the Year is not just a title.
"To me it would mean being a role model for other young women out there and helping them realize what they're really capable of," De La Rosa said.
"As a strong and independent woman, I know I can help other girls set and achieve goals and to learn to stay true themselves."
How to vote for Christine:
Go to www.AmericanCheerleader.com and click the "Cheerleader of the Year" tab on the homepage. Voting ends Feb. 14th.
Charlotte Lewis can be reached at charlotte.lewis@student.shu.edu.
