ROCKINGHAM — Senior cheerleader Sophia Chavis has been named the Official Richmond County Female Student-Athlete of the Week presented by HWY 55.
With the turn of fall to winter sports seasons happening this week, Chavis is preparing for a playoff run with the football team and hopefully another exciting season of basketball.
A three-year varsity cheerleader, and the team’s only senior this year, Chavis earned her first career Student-Athlete of the Week recognition.
Athletic Profile
Year: Senior
Fall Sport: Cheerleading
Position: Flyer
Years on Varsity: 3 Years
“CHEERING ON THE SIDELINES” WITH SOPHIA CHAVIS
A dual-enrollment student at Richmond and Richmond Community College, Chavis said she places a lot of importance on her studies during her two-sport cheer season.
This semester she’s taking four classes at RichmondCC — Biology 111, Math 171, Intro to Business and Developmental Psychology. During her two blocks at Richmond, she’s in Economics and Yearbook.
“My favorite class right now is Economics,” Chavis shared. “I really like the class, it’s full of seniors and we’re a really close group. And the class is helpful for making life decisions.
“There’s a huge benefit of being able to take RCC classes in high school,” she added. “I’ll be earning my associate’s degree and that’s two free years of schooling. Plus it helps get me more prepared for college classes, knowing how to study and write essays.”
A straight-A student, Chavis currently has a 4.52 weighted grade point average. At the high school, she’s also involved in Beta Club, Health Occupations Students of America, National Honor Society and National Technical Honor Society.
“I’ve learned to join clubs because being involved in lots of different things while in high school is important,” Chavis said. “And I really like being able to volunteer in my community.”
With a quarter of her senior year in the books, Chavis said she hopes to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to begin her journey to medical school.
Having always been a flyer since starting to cheer, Chavis said there are some challenges that go with her position.
“The most challenging thing is trusting my teammates and also not being afraid to try new things when it comes to stunting,” she explained.
RAPID RESPONSE VIDEO WITH SOPHIA CHAVIS
In her video interview, Chavis recaps cheering on the Raiders to a win last Friday, explains her role as a flyer and gives her thoughts on what it means to be a student-athlete.
The Richmond Observer will publish its Official Richmond County Male Athlete of the Week soon.