(Nov. 26, 2018) — If the old adage “We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give” is true, then there is no shortage of ways for UTSA faculty and staff to kick off the holiday season with good karma this Giving Tuesday. Held on Tuesday, Nov. 27, the international movement encourages people to support charity, and this year there are a number of student-led projects where Roadrunners can make a difference.
Projects are featured on the university’s crowdfunding platform Launch UTSA, and every dollar donated goes directly to support the students’ fundraising objectives. Current projects include resources for UTSA students experiencing food insecurity or emergencies and sending members of the UTSA Society of Automotive Engineers and UTSA Cheer to competitions.
For UTSA Cheer team member Kennedy Simmons, she’s hoping donors support the squad’s upcoming trip to the National Cheerleaders Association Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championship, which will be held April 3-7, 2019 in Daytona Beach, Fla.
“Competing on the national stage is every cheerleader’s ultimate goal,” Simmons said. “Here at UTSA, we have to opportunity to do that at the most elite level, as this program is ranked amongst the top schools in the nation.”
Simmons, a senior who hails from Houston, began cheerleading at age 11 and chose to attend UTSA because it was the only Division 1A cheerleading program in Texas with an all-girl national title.
UTSA Spirit Program Coordinator AudraLee Scofield, is enthusiastic and optimistic of the team’s chances to excel in the nationals.
“These athletes have been training and cheering their entire lives and this competition is their ultimate goal in the mecca of cheerleading,” Scofield said.
Scofield is hoping through Giving Tuesday that the UTSA community rallies around the Spirit Program and understands that gifts to the student programs, like UTSA Cheer, are for a worthy cause. She believes the outpouring of giving will be a great way to grow morale of the team – especially for Simmons, who is injured and won’t be able to compete at nationals but continues to cheer on her teammates.
“We’re just humbled to be a part of Giving Tuesday. We have the biggest support here from the UTSA community,” Scofield said. “We ask, ask, ask from them (the cheer team) all the time to be everywhere and support everyone else, so for them to be given something back, it’s a great feeling.”
