Paris Swett Named Santa Rosa Athlete of the Month

Photo by Photos DLite photography studio

The value school officials place on the pride created by members of the cheer team has resulted in the selection of Paris Swett as Menifee 24/7 March Athlete of the Month for Santa Rosa Academy, sponsored by Photos DLite photo studio.

Swett led the Santa Rosa cheer team in its first ever competition, in which it took home a first-place trophy in its division and the Enthusiastic Award for all divisions.

"Paris is a great example of a student-athlete," said Santa Rosa athletic director Justin Shives. "She is a straight-A student who is not only completely dedicated in the classroom, but also as a cheerleader.

"She is everything we want in a cheerleader who represents our school: a good student, wonderful friend and teammate, and gives 100 percent at all times to her team. She is always encouraging, helpful, and seeing the best in everyone. Lastly, her work ethic is outstanding."

Swett said she considers her position as a cheerleader an important one in building school pride and maintaining physically fit.

"I was one of the members of Santa Rosa’s very first cheer team," she said. "When it was first announced three years ago, I was immediately interested in participating in the program. I honestly really like my school, and am very fortunate to go there. I felt, and still feel, that it’s a fun way to contribute to the school’s spirit and support fellow athletes.

"I feel that the responsibility of a cheerleader is to support and uplift fellow students. A cheerleader should be a reflection of the school and the morals it wants to portray. The role of a cheerleader is to encourage and inspire their peers to be eager towards various school activities. Getting the other students motivated to participate, while demonstrating exceptional character, is a cheerleader’s role.

"I’ve always been pretty goal oriented. I naturally set high goals for myself and work hard to achieve them. Grades have always been very important to me. At a very young age, I knew I wanted to continue my straight A record throughout my entire school career, and I’ve managed to maintain this record while being involved in athletics. Though sustaining such grades usually requires a great deal of time, this did not affect my commitment towards cheer."

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