Red Gold News

Cheering Into Senior Year: Abigail Cuadros’ Journey of Spirit and Friendship
Abigail Cuadros is a senior at Jimmy Carter Early College High School. She is involved in UIL and cheerleading for La Joya High School for first-year varsity.

“This year was my first year cheerleading in High School, but years prior I was in the drill team for Domingo Trevino middle school,” Cuadros said.

Cuadros said she wanted to do something fun in her last year of high school and she has always liked how the cheerleaders should show their spirit in games and dance in pep rallies when she was younger, so she wanted to try it out. When she saw her number on the board she was so happy that she got on the team.

“My favorite memory in cheerleading was senior night because we got to meet the other cheerleader from the other school and play games with the other cheerleaders. It was so fun and I got to make new memories with my best friend and got more connected with my cheerleaders,” Cuadros said.

A lot of things inspire her to stay on track when it comes to her education and cheerleading. She does her work when she has free periods, so after school she can just go to practice and focus on the cheers. Her family inspires her to do her best in both school and extracurricular activities.

“I just love the vibe that my team provides, and absolutely love my coaches,”Cuadros said. “They have done so many things for me and they help me with my schedule. The girls are friendly, funny, and helpful. I made more friendships by joining cheerleading, and I will miss them once I leave.”

School isn’t just a place for learning — it’s a place for leading. Camila Garcia’s schedule is packed, from class meetings to club events, U.S. history to algebra. And she wouldn’t have it any other way. She’s the sophomore class president, FBLA secretary and a UIL poetry competitor.

No matter how much schoolwork she has, she makes time for her peers, music and sleep. Like her favorite singer, Sabrina Carpenter, said: “Little things become everything.”

“Having those positions has been a fun challenge — working with my officers to plan things that help our class have fun is fun itself,” Camila said. “Since we do a lot, I try to make sure nobody feels left out.”

Camila values both academics and school culture, so she’s optimistic about the upcoming consolidation.

“I think it’s a good idea because of all the new things it’ll bring, but at the same time, I feel uneasy. Maybe it’s just because we haven’t experienced something like it, but it’ll be really cool to meet new people,” she said. “Even if we lose some people, we’ll gain more to enrich our school’s culture.”

She finds success in subjects she enjoys but struggles in others. She might mix up a plus or minus, but she won’t miss a question in her favorite class: U.S. history with Ramiro Garza.

“My best class is definitely U.S. history. Mr. Garza’s teaching makes the material more interesting,” Camila said. “But I’m the opposite in Algebra II. It’s the hardest class I have because I already struggle with math, and I’m also taking geometry.”

To stay on top of her workload, she jots assignments in her notes app and crosses them off.

“Next year, I want to advance in poetry and compete at nationals for FBLA,” she said. “I’m nervous about the SAT and ACT — I just hope I get a high score.”

When asked who she’d have dinner with, she didn’t hesitate.

“Alexander Hamilton, me in the future — and maybe even Sabrina Carpenter,” she said.

She wants to know how Hamilton wrote so much, how her future will go, and how Carpenter stays so cool.

“I am confident, considerate and curious,” Camila said. “I’m not afraid to do what’s best, I care about my class, and I’m excited for what tomorrow will bring.”

Students Prep for the upcoming STAAR with Collaborative Presentations in English II