Eliana’s cheerleading fundraiser!

Hello, my name is Eliana Monroy. I’m a 15 year old student going onto my sophomore year at Marina High School. I have created this GoFundMe page because of the high financial cost it is to be part of this amazing cheer program. It’s a consecutive $6000 dollars a year. It's all the camps, all the competitions, the clothing, uniforms, shoes, and so much more! Plus the flight to compete in Nationals in Florida. My dream is to be able to do all 4 years of cheer during my high school years. Marina is not just any cheer program. Marina Cheer has been the National High School Cheerleading Champions for back-to-back years. The NHSCC is held at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando Florida and nationally televised on ESPN and ESPN2 to over 100 million homes and 32 countries nationwide each year. I would love to be part of this as I continue my studies and I thrive in school. Competitions like these will help me gain exposure and opportunities to meet with top college cheer programs in the United States regarding scholarship and post-high school educational options. After being in the cheerleading program for a year, I have gotten the opportunity to grow in my athletic abilities, learn how to balance schoolwork and cheer, as well as make new friends who share the same love for cheer as I do. It has also made be much more responsible and has enable me to learn the importance of time management. Being a part of this cheer team has also helped me become more confident and self-assured in my talents and identity. As one of the few girls of color on the Marina cheer team, I knew I would stand out from my other team members. Growing up I was bullied and put down many times because of my race and skin color. I say this because going through that as a young child was extremely difficult. I thought there was something wrong with me. It made me feel extremely insecure about myself and it was a constant reminder that I didn’t belong. As I’ve grown I’ve come to realized how much worth I have and that I am not defined by what others say or think about me. I want to prove to those who didn’t believe in me and said those mean and hurtful things that I am beautiful and capable of so much more! Instead of allowing this to a barrier in my life, I chose to view this as an opportunity to demonstrate my dedication and thrive. I want to inspire others to chase after their dream and goals, without fear of being an outcast. Cheer has taught me to embrace who I am, and be openly proud of my gifts and talents. I am a daughter of a single mother and I have seen my mom sacrifice so much for me. She has taught me to fight for my dreams and to work hard for what I want. She has poured so much into my life and has made me who I am today. She’s my rock and I want to make her proud! As a high school student who works hard to do well in school and in cheer, I would greatly appreciate any support you could provide me to continue in the cheer program. Thank you for your time and consideration!