Leadership Profile: Sarah Cox
It didn’t even take a split second for Fenton sophomore Sarah Cox to decide whether she would join Alma College’s cheer team. She has been a cheerleader all her life, she says.
“I like performing in front of a crowd,” she says. “I’m not normally a loud person, but you can really be as loud and enthusiastic as you want while cheering. At Alma, we have a really great, supportive group, and Coach Sabourin is so enthusiastic.”
The transition from club to competitive sport means the cheer team practices and works out more than ever before. Inspired by her coach, Cox has taken her own dedication up a notch by investing in and caring for her teammates.
“I see myself as a leader because I try to keep a positive attitude and encourage the other girls on the team,” she says. “To me, a leader is someone who has a real passion for whatever they’re leading. You can tell they care about their sport or activity, like I do about cheer.”
When she’s not cheering, the biology major can be found in the library studying or in the lab doing independent research with Chemistry Professor Scott Hill. He has been somewhat of a personal cheerleader for Cox’s academic goals, she says.
“Dr. Hill has been an awesome and encouraging resource for me as I contemplate medical or dental school,” she says. “Recently, he introduced me to the director of admissions from a medical school, so I was able to visit the school with another student. Alma professors have really great connections, and they are good at making them available to their students.”
A busy student-athlete who has big plans for the future, Cox has really learned to balance her time. It’s the only way she can make the most of her Alma experience, she says.
“I’ve definitely learned time management skills and how not to do frivolous things when I have other things that need to be done first,” she says. “I need to utilize any free time that I get.”
