Jacob Mojica is a senior at Palo Verde High School. He is 18 years old and one of 6 captains on the cheer team. Jacob and a few other cheerleaders on his team were selected to go on a very special trip to Europe. He was picked to be an All-American cheerleader. This means he got to perform cheers and dances in parades across London with other top cheerleaders from the United States.
Jacob has been a cheerleader for 2 years. He said, “I started cheerleading because I saw people doing cool flips and stunts. I wanted to learn how to do that too!” He worked really hard during his junior year and took cheer very seriously. His skills paid off when he was selected as team captain, and qualified for the All-American team.
In Europe, Jacob’s team had many complicated dances and routines, but overall pulled it off. Even though performing in front of big crowds can be scary, Jacob didn’t get too nervous. “I’ve cheered in front of large groups before, so this felt similar,” he explained.
Jacob says his connection and relationship with his team made the experience 10x better. “We were all from the same town, so we were very comfortable together. Some of the other teams seemed shy around each other,” Jacob said. His favorite part was experiencing the different cultures in Europe and meeting cheerleaders from all over the nation. He felt proud representing the United States, saying “We really showed everyone what American cheerleaders can do!”
One of his favorites memories from the trip was when kids in Europe asked Jacob’s team lots of questions about cheerleading. “Cheerleading isn’t popular in Europe, so the kids were really excited to learn about it from us,” Jacob said.
This trip taught Jacob so much. “I got to step outside my comfort zone and see how people in other countries live their lives. It was an amazing experience,” he said.
Jacob’s team stuck together during the performances, cheering each other on and getting each other through the routines. When they had free time in London, they planned out fun activities to do together.
This incredible opportunity as an All-American cheerleader in Europe will help Jacob as he continues cheerleading and takes on new challenges in the future. He had an amazing experience and made memories that will last a lifetime!
