Becoming an officer in the United States Air Force is what ROTC cadets Kyle Petitt and Jordan Mitchell are preparing to do. They just decided that adding a new passion to their lives was something they were going to do.
A friend suggested that Petitt should try out for the cheer team because they were down a man. Petitt took them up on their offer. Now a cadet and cheer squad member, Petitt credits his ROTC experience as helping him with cheer the Cougars to victory.
'The discipline I think that you learn in ROTC really plays forth in cheer so that you can focus, because if you don't focus, you're just going to end up getting hurt or hurting someone else,' said Petitt.
Mitchell also decided to try out for the cheer team. He says that cheering to him is more than just about shouting; it's about challenging his ability to learn new skills. He goes from ROTC workouts at six in the morning to cheer practice at seven and works out until ten. Mitchell says there are also benefits form being on the spirit squad.
'I've learned a lot of learning how to deal with different kinds of people that I am not used to being around and learning to appreciate different attitudes and perspectives in life,' said Mitchell.
Sometimes, balancing school, cheer, and ROTC can be difficult, but they Mitchell and Petitt take the challenge head on. They say time management is the key for them; a key they will take with them into their military careers.
After this year, Petitt will heave into the Air Force as a navigator. Mitchell has one more year and would like to be a pilot flying fighter jets.