Charles Page High School junior Marlee Dixon knows her role on the varsity cheer squad goes far beyond sharp motions and game-night smiles. She embraces the responsibility of being a leader and role model for her teammates, a presence she also brings as an official captain for the school’s STUNT program.
Dixon said the people closest to her are what drive her to give her best every day. “The people around me really inspire me,” she said. “When it comes to my mom, my team, my coach, they all just always bring me up even on the worst of days and I always want to return the same favor. I always want to do my best for them because I know they all do the same.”
That mindset shows up in the gym, where Dixon said she loves walking into an environment full of teammates who share the same hunger to improve. “What I enjoy most about being on the team is not only the sisterhood and the moments we create that we cherish forever, but the fact that my team all hold the same hunger to be better,” she said. “I love that every time I walk in the cheer gym, I see my teammates always putting their best foot forward.”
Away from the floor, Dixon, who lists math and English as her favorite subjects and names Ms. Keho as her all-time favorite teacher, likes to recharge by reading, sleeping or watching videos that capture her interest. Athletics, she said, has taught her how to stay in shape, push herself responsibly, grow into a more accountable person and grow closer to Jesus. She also carries with her the impact of former teammate Sarah Turner, whom she remembers as “the light of my day” and an example of the kind of teammate and friend she strives to be.
