Bennington High School senior cheerleader Soraya Smith signed with Southeastern Oklahoma State University cheer last week, and she will be the first Bennington graduate to be on the SE cheer team.
She is the daughter of Keith and Rachael Smith.
“We are so proud of you, Soraya,” the school district said. “Your hard work, dedication, and passion have truly paid off. This is just the beginning of an exciting new chapter. We wish you all the best as you take your talent and spirit to the next level your future team is lucky to have you.”
Jennifer Moore, Bennington Bears cheer coach, said she was talking with Smith recently and that she had been tossing around the idea of trying out for the SE cheer team.
“She wasn’t quite sure because the tryouts weren’t quite lining up with a competition that she was going to be in but in the end, they ended up bringing her back very quickly for the audition and she tried out for the cheer team and she made it,” Moore said. “She’s won a scholarship as well. We’re still waiting on the amounts of the scholarship because it depends on their new year budget.
“She’s our first cheerleader to win a scholarship, so we’re really excited for her.”
Moore said Smith cheered during her sophomore through senior years.
“She does cheering outside of school as well and so her freshman year, she wasn’t quite sure if she could make both of them work time wise and her sophomore year rolled around and she thought that she would be able to do it and so she jumped in just head first with all of us and she did an amazing job,” Moore said. “She really is like the heart of the team.”
Smith said that in addition to cheering at Bennington for three years, she has been a competitive cheerleader for different gyms in Texoma for the past six years.
“I’m really excited,” Smith said. “I’m kind of nervous but more so excited to continue cheering. Cheering has been something that I’ve always loved to do, had a passion for. So, being able to continue it while going to college is something that I’ve always wanted to do. I’m grateful for that.”
Smith said she will be majoring in nursing and is excited to be graduating from high school. She plans to live on the Southeastern campus.
“I’m ready to graduate and move to my next chapter of my life,” Smith said. “It’s a big thing for me.”
