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Last updated on Tuesday, August 5, 2014
(GREENE CO.) - Rachel McLaughlin, an incoming junior at Eastern Greene High School, has been selected to be a part of the 2014-2015 All-American Varsity Cheer Team.
McLaughlin was one of over 500 high school cheerleaders and dancers chosen from across the U.S, during a Universal Cheer Association Camp on the campus of Indiana University.
McLaughlin spent three days at the camp in Bloomington learning cheers and dance routines, which then held tryouts for the cheer team.
All sophomore, junior and senior cheerleaders were able to tryout and had to perform jump of choice, the All-American Cheer, and the Universal Cheer Association (UCA) camp dance, which were taught to the cheerleaders during the camp.
After judging approximately 80 cheerleaders, the UCA chose McLaughlin to represent their team.
The All-American Varsity Cheerleading team will consist of an estimated 500 cheerleaders chosen nationwide.
McLaughlin was part of the 12 percent of cheerleaders chosen from the IU sponsored camp.
Rachel and the rest of the All-American Varsity Squad will be traveling to Londonduring during the holidays to perform in the London New Year's Day Parade. More than 20 million viewers worldwide are expected to be watching the live event.
The UCA will be sending the cheerleaders tapes with the dances and stunts they need to learn. They will not practice as a team until two days prior to the big event.
McLaughlin understands the amount of dedication and hard work that will be required to learn the dances and stunts with the 500 other cheerleaders in such a short amount of time, however, she is confident in her abilities.
The Greene County Daily World reports Rachel's mother, Leslie McLaughlin, is also more than excited to see her youngest daughter pursue her dreams.
The McLaughlin family is currently working on fundraising to make Rachel's dream come true.
They have set up an account for donations and will be doing various fundraising activities around the community for the next several months to help with the trip expenses.
Rachel and her grandmother will be selling lanyards they made at this years' AppleFestival in Bloomfield for one of their first fundraisers.
To make a donation to help Rachel McLaughlin be a part of this great opportunity, visit GoFundMe.com/bytlgg.
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