ROCKINGHAM – Candace Little, a senior on the Richmond Senior High School cheerleading team, has been named the fifth Official Richmond County Female Athlete of the Week for the 2018 fall sports season.
One of just two four-year varsity starters on this year’s cheerleading team, Little has served as one of head coach Meredith Hood’s most vocal leaders over the past couple of seasons. While the Richmond cheerleaders may not partake in the on-the-field action on Friday nights, Little is a big part of getting the crowd amped up to cheer on the Raider football team. This is her first career selection.
Athletic Profile
Age: 17
Birthday: May 14, 2001
Year: Senior
Fall Sport: Cheerleading
Position: Flyer
Years on Varsity: 4 Years
Height & Weight: 5-1, 115 pounds
Experience: 15 years
“FLYING HIGH” WITH CANDACE LITTLE
RSHS Academics: Little can be seen soaring high above her fellow cheerleaders during football games, but she’s also soaring in the classroom this semester at Richmond. She’s enrolled in Richmond’s Health Science cluster, and only has two classes this fall, as she’s also enrolled in the school-to-work program which allows her to leave campus to work during the school day.
Courses Little is taking are English IV Honors and American History II Honors, as well as a seminar course that focuses on behavior. She’s spent the last year and a half working at Taco Bell in Rockingham, but is set to begin a new job at Little Caesar’s Pizza in the coming week. Little currently has a 3.5 GPA and is an A/B Honor Roll student. Little is also a member of the American History Club.
“I really enjoy English with Mr. (Craig) Jones,” Little explained of her favorite class. “I really like reading Shakespeare and love reading and acting out plays in class. I just really like reading.”
RSHS Sports: Being a member of the cheerleading team is the only athletics program at Richmond that Little is a part of, but it does span two seasons: football and basketball. And she’s aware that her role on the team is much more than your average cheerleader.
“I like getting to meet new people, and every year there are always new girls on the team,” Little shared. “I also really enjoy getting involved with the crowd and cheering them on. It’s very exciting — everyone just loves Richmond. Going to all the football games is a lot of fun and it’s really cool to see everyone excited.
“It also makes me feel good to be a leader on the team because I know the other girls look up to me for anything, not just cheerleading,” she added. “I try to help solve my friends’ problems, whatever they are. And I just love being there when Meredith needs me — and so is Emily Faw — we help make sure everything is in check.”
Hobbies: When she’s not at practice or hyping up the crowds during football games, Little described herself as being laid back and enjoys doing typical high school student things.
“I enjoy chilling and hanging out with my friends,” she smiled. “And I also love shopping and eating, too. And believe it or not, I enjoy working. I’m looking forward to starting my new job at Little Caesar’s.
Something else little said she enjoys doing is visiting Florida with her friend Kandice Harris.
College Aspirations: Little is in the process of applying to colleges around the state to further her postsecondary education. Currently, she’s applied to North Carolina State University, East Carolina University and Winston-Salem State University, and is waiting to hear back from all three schools. Her top choice, however, is NC State.
“I really want to go to NC State because they have a really good veterinarian program,” Little explained. “And that’s what I want to be. I love animals, I literally love all kinds of them. And I sometimes volunteer washing dogs and taking care of dogs and cats and ferrets.”
Candace Little (right) and fellow cheerleader Emily Faw celebrate a touchdown against Pine Forest.
RAPID FIRE – FAST RESPONSES
1) What do you enjoy most about being a member of the Richmond cheer team?
“I love being with my team all the time,” Little expressed. “They’re a lot of fun to be around, and they help pick me up when I’m down. I’m always excited to be a part of the crowd, and I can’t wait for us to compete in our next competition in Raleigh in December.”
2) Describe your favorite memory since you have been a Richmond cheerleader.
“It was when we went to the NCHSAA state championship competition last year,” Little recalled. “We didn’t think we were going to place and we ended up taking second overall. Me and the whole team were surprised — but I felt like we deserved it.”
3) Who is someone who has impacted your life positively such as a mentor, teacher or coach?
“It’s definitely Emily Faw,” Little noted of her fellow four-year cheerleader. “She is such a positive person, and she’s so happy and positive all the time. She’s helped me a lot and is good at telling me right from wrong. I love her because she never gets mad.”
4) What is your No. 1 dream in life to accomplish?
“That’s a really tough question, but I think I just want to become successful,” Little said. “I want to be a vet and lookout for the people I love.”
5) Name an interesting fact about yourself that many people may not know about you.
“I played soccer my eighth grade year at Hamlet (Middle School) and I was so bad,” Little laughed. “I got trucked when I tried to get the ball one time, but I got up and kept going. Also, I’m allergic to grass, but my body has gotten used to it. So it’s normally not bad during football games.”
Coach’s Corner: Hood selected Little as her Athlete of the Week because of her dedication and leadership qualities that have emerged this season.
“Candace is a hard worker and she’s been one of my varsity cheerleaders for four years,” Hood said. “She started as a freshman on varsity, and she’s really always been a leader on this team. But more so, she’s grown into a leader the last two years — she does a really good job helping out with not only our varsity team, but also the flyers on the junior varsity team. She’s really a joy to have on the team.”
