Sturgis' Gonzalez set to cheer at Spring Arbor
STURGIS — Sturgis senior Solana Gonzalez enjoys working with kids.
So much so that she plans on one day becoming a Kindergarten teacher when she's done with college. Her school of choice is Spring Arbor University, where she will continue her academic and cheerleading careers with the Cougars.
"I went on a visit there and from the start, the whole community there was great. My tour guide was also a cheerleader, so that was great," Gonzalez said. "I was invited to cheer practices and stuff. I really like it there."
Officially, Gonzalez said she will be majoring in education. When it comes to working with the youngsters, she said having spending some time in the teacher academy through CTE was a big help for her.
"I really enjoyed it," she said. "I enjoy the environment with the kids."
When it comes to cheerleading at the next level, Gonzalez said Spring Arbor has some nice expectations for her. The coach informed her that Gonzalez has strong base skills and they also like her personality, which can be bubbly — the smiles are a big thing for cheerleading at the next level.
Sturgis competitive cheer coach Stephanie Smith believes Gonzalez will fit right in at the next level as well.
"I feel like she will fit right in, I think she makes friends easily and that will be big for her in college," Smith said.
Gonzalez was a part of the Sturgis team which reached the regional round each of the last few seasons. Sturgis has a strong competitive cheer program and Gonzalez said she has enjoyed being a part of it.
"Competing is the best, I like the practices a lot too because you get to spend a lot of time with your teammates," she said.
Move-in day for the Cougars is set for August. Gonzalez said before she graduates she plans to spend as much time as she can with her family and friends, taking in her final weeks as a high school student. She is also a member of the Sturgis soccer team.
She has some nerves about the next step as well.
"I'm nervous because it's a new life for me, yeah I'm going to do cheerleading but it's completely different than here," she said. "But I am looking forward to meeting new people. I'm nervous to meet new people, but also I'm excited to experience new things."
A pretty solid student as well, Gonzalez knows it will take work in the classroom at the next level. But she's ready for that.
Smith said she is looking forward to seeing what Gonzalez can do at the collegiate level.
"I think she is very friendly and she has always been a leader on my team," Smith said. "I expect she will go and do great things."
Contact Sports Editor Brandon Watson at watson@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as twitter, @BwatsonSJ.
This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Solana Gonzalez signs with Spring Arbor competitive cheer team
