Written by Sasha Agent
*The 2010-11 season was my rookie year as a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. I knew that the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders was a team that I had always wanted to be a part of, however, little did I know it would change my life. *
I had my mind made up – I was moving to Texas and determined to accomplish my goal of becoming a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. The first thing on my list was to get my body back in dancer shape. I immediately began running after work, stretching for kicks, and choreographing a solo, in case I made it to finals.
The second thing on my list was employment. At the time, my work experience only consisted of doing casework for non-profit agencies. I immediately reached out to Dallas non-profit and government agencies, but my dilemma was no one wanted to interview me because I still lived in California. That determined my next move.
I realized that I most likely had to move my life to Texas before securing a job, and I remembered that I had family that lived a little north of Dallas. They immediately supported my idea, and invited me to stay with them as long as I needed. I could not believe how things were already falling into place. Once I knew I had a place to stay, I really began to focus on what I really wanted to do as a long-term career.
Knowing that all kids have their own learning style, I really thought I would always make a great teacher. After more research, I came to the conclusion that I wanted to be a special education teacher, and found a rigorous program that certified teachers during their first year of teaching. In March of 2009, I flew to Dallas for a weekend to interview for the teaching certification program.
After getting snowed in and spending the night at the airport in Colorado, surviving a six-hour long interview, and then enduring 10 days of waiting, I found out I was accepted into the program. So in addition to my preparation for auditions, I also had to make sure that I studied and completed all of the prep work I needed for my summer teaching program. I was required to teach summer school, attend daily classes to prepare myself for teaching, and pass all of the required state exams in my content area. Because of this, I had to face the reality that auditioning for the 2009-2010 season was a bit unrealistic.
It was May 15, 2009, and I had finally made the move to Dallas. I was very emotional, and wasn't sure if I had made the right move. I was taking such a huge leap of faith. Even though I had been accepted into my certification program, it did not mean I was guaranteed a job. Therefore, I really began to doubt myself, second-guessing the act of moving me and my daughter to a new state without employment or any help from my immediate family. During this time, I officially made the decision to put my DCC goals on hold for the sake of priorities, which in this case was my little girl. I made this choice one week before the 2009-10 DCC auditions.
At that point, I went into full speed and never stopped. I studied and passed every state exam I needed. The one interview I got, I promised myself I would get for the sake of my daughter. And by the end of August, I had my own place and started my first year of teaching. I was proud of myself for what I had accomplished, however, I was not content. There was still that missing factor – the actual reason why I moved to Texas in the first place.
And at that time more than ever, I wanted to be a DCC.
