Success is something that all people long for in life, but a big question that many face is “How do achieve success?” Through many situations in life, I have learned that working hard and persisting through challenges are the most successful strategies that allow a person's dreams to become a reality. As simple as these strategies may seem, hard work does not always come easy, and giving up on your goals often seems like an easier route. Pursuing the road less traveled is often risky and requires you to experience many low points before you attain the success you are longing for. If success came at an easy price, obtaining it would not be an accomplishment, but rather a rife occurrence. In my opinion, the trials that you must encounter make the final success all the more savory.

The challenges that fraught success were evident in my experience as a Gym Day cheerleader. Before signing up, I knew that the job would require dedicating time to perfecting cheers and costumes; however, I was not prepared for the arduous work and substantial hours that the process would consume. Nearly every day for a month, I slaved over the perfection of our claw machine costume that fit the Junior’s Toy Story theme. The smell of new paint and cardboard was ambient in our workshop each and every day as we assembled each costume perfectly. During the entire process, we worked under the intimidating eye of Mrs. Gerrets, who is known for her inexorable wins at Gym Day. As cheerleaders, we had a lot of pressure and did not want to let our grade, our board, or Mrs. Gerrets down.

On the Friday morning of Gym Day, butterflies filled my stomach as I prepared to put all of my hard work into action. Because the costumes were done, I knew that our performance while leading the cheers would be the determining factor of our fate. As we lined up in the lobby, the symphonies of the senior dance distracted my anxious mind until the time had come for us to enter the gym. Along with the other cheerleaders, I faced the audience with a mask of courage and presented myself, despite the fact that I was internally erupting with nerves. We then proceeded to our grade where we were greeted with a roar of ebullience. The comfort I felt in front of my grade suddenly turned into intimidation as the sight of the the senior’s ornate, vibrant, pink Mickey ear costume caused further perturbation in my mind. As the volleyball matches began, my apprehension turned to excitement, and I decided to make the most out of the experience instead of stressing about the outcome. As we conducted the cheers, my voice began to dissipate, and the hoarse tone led me to feel accomplished, proving that I had devoted my ultimate efforts to the success of our class. As the games came to a close, I watched the skits and faculty follies with anxiety for the upcoming reveal of the winners.

When the award ceremony began, my nerves heightened, and I dreaded the possible outcome that I had let my grade down. Winners were called for stands, banner, spirit day, etc., and before I knew it, the cheerleader award presentation began. The moments that we waited to find out the winner felt like an eternity as silence encompassed the gym. I tried to remind myself that life is not all about winning; however, I silently prayed for the moment that the Junior class would be called. My prayers were answered when I heard Mrs. Buras’ voice boom, “The Juniors.” My entire class erupted with shrieks of relief and excitement, and I felt an abundance of pride along with my fellow cheerleaders.  I turned around to face my friends when suddenly I saw Mrs. Gerretts’ look of approval and shock. I knew that we cheerleaders had excelled in maintaining her reputation as a gym day champion. At that moment, I decided that all of the hard work, long hours, and determination of being a cheerleader was worth it. The feeling of satisfaction that I experienced after making my grade proud surpassed all of the sacrifices that I made to get there. Although I know the ending will not always be successful, through my experience as a Gym Day cheerleader I now value hard work and determination more than ever.