“You are too chubby to be a cheerleader.”

“You should play football.”

Now, her smile and spirit shines brightly on the court as she cheers on the entire school, her positive attitude imprinting her name in the minds of others.

Junior Daisha Ferrell is a member of the varsity cheerleading squad. Ferrell has been a member of the varsity squad since her sophomore year. She auditioned her freshman year after a teacher and members of her family told her she should not due to her weight.

“I got involved in cheer because a teacher told me I couldn’t be a cheerleader, because I was too chubby,” Ferrell said. “So I tried out for cheer, and I made it. Then, I told her face to face in front of the whole class. They were like, ‘Nah, you should not do this. You should play football.’ I just said, ‘Okay,’ and proved them wrong right then and there.”

Ferrell said she also finds joy in choir, singing the alto part in Chorale.

“Choir is something I can really excel in and make a career out of,” Ferrell said. “That’s my go-to thing. That’s my plan B at all times. ‘If you can’t do this, go straight to choir.’ My plan A after high school is to try out for cheer. If that doesn’t work out too well, I’ll just join a choir.”

Ferrell said choir is a group effort, combining many voices to blend into one.

“Even if they’re doing different things, it all comes together,” Ferrell said. “It sounds so beautiful. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s a great feeling when we all come together and do different things. Let’s say altos are singing a low part, sopranos a high part, boys are really strong in their sections, and we all come together and sing with one voice. It’s just a great feeling.”

Ferrell said she was always brought up in a church, asking God for answers to problems she is unsure how to solve.

“I ask God, so I can see what I should be doing,” Ferrell said. “I was always in church 24/7 with my mom when I lived in Fort Worth. There are a lot of crazy people in Fort Worth, so you got to stick to church.”

Ferrell said she does her best to stay committed to her beliefs, so that she does not second guess herself in everything, from her extracurricular activities, to her personality.

“If anyone tells you that you can’t do something, prove them wrong,” Ferrell said. “Do whatever you want to do. If you want to eat nachos, eat nachos for yourself. Don’t get nachos because your friend got nachos. Do whatever you want to do in life. Do not follow someone else’s crowd. You be the leader. Don’t follow someone else because they’re doing it. At the end of the day, this is your life, not theirs.”