Welcome back friends!
After a slightly longer than planned blog hiatus (due to the blog content writer moving cross country, starting school, being enormously pregnant and generally overloaded with life things), the USA Cheerleaders blog is now back in business! I apologize for the wait. To make up for lost time, we decided to start off with a bang, bringing you an interview with Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader (and former USA Cheerleader) Jessica Montoya!
Meet: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, Jessica!
Birth Place: Albuquerque, NM
Education: M.A. Media and Communication Arts; Pace University in New York, NY
B.A. Musical Theatre with a Minor in Dance; Pace University in New York, NY
Current Occupation: Marketing Practice Development Coordinator at a law firm in Dallas, TX
Hobbies: Singing, Acting, Painting & Drawing, Graphic Art Design, Face Painting
Pets: I want a micro piglet! I am allergic to cats and dogs.
Favorite Place to Vacation: Anywhere warm! I love Mexico, though!
Describe your personal style: I love dresses because they are the easiest to match! Although it’s so much fun dressing up, I also enjoy the every day pair of jeans and hobo chic baggy tops.Favorite time of year/ why: Summer – I was meant to be the sun 24/7! One day, I’d like to live in Scottsdale, Arizona, where it is warm year round! I lived in New York for about 5 years and experienced some of the coldest winters, so I am ready to leave that behind.
Words to live by/favorite quote: If you are going to fail at something in life, shouldn’t it be at something you love doing?
Favorite book: The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch and Jeffrey Zaslow
If I were a song, I would be: Be Okay, by Oh Honey!
What made you decide to try out for the most recognizable NFL Cheerleading Program in the World, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders? Has this always been a dream of yours? When I was younger, I always thought I was too short, or not ‘All American’ looking enough to be on the team. But as I got older I gained more courage to audition. I knew that if I got the chance to dance in front of the judges they would see my passion and drive to entertain and uplift our fans!
Two of my friends that I cheered with on the New York Jets Flight Crew in 2009 had made the move to Dallas, and both made the team! That motivated me to fly to Dallas and finally audition.
How many cheerleading organizations were you a part of, prior to becoming a DCC? I have been a part of 6 cheerleading organizations:
NFL Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, TX
NFL NY Jets Flight Crew, NY
USA Cheerleaders, NY
NLL Lacrosse Sirens Dancers, NY
IAFL New Mexico Wildcats Cheerleaders, NM
USA Cheerleaders, NY
NLL Lacrosse Sirens Dancers, NY
IAFL New Mexico Wildcats Cheerleaders, NM
Looking back, how do you feel that your time spent with USA Cheerleaders helped to prepare you to further your Cheerleading career? I absolutely loved being a part of the USA Cheerleaders organization. My time spent with the team and supporters of the group has given me long lasting memories that I cherish. Above anything else, it taught me how to genuinely give time to make people smile and to truly appreciate how much the military does for our nation as a whole.
As a cheerleader for any organization, people expect you to be happy, giving, and inspirational. The USA Cheerleaders helped enhance my experience in giving back to the community and being thankful for what our service men and women have sacrificed for us all.
A little really does goes a long way, and a simple smile can brighten anyone’s day.
Ken Martin, the Executive Director/Founder of USA Cheerleaders has said many times that he is very proud of watching his cheerleaders' lives become changed as a result of their work in his program. How did it make you feel to know that you were making a difference in so many heroes' lives? First of all, receiving the incredible amount of support during and after my time with the USA Cheerleaders from Ken was just amazing! He motivates us all and continues to remind us what life is really about. So to know that we made such an impact in heroes' lives, is all in debt to him.
I am the daughter of two navy veterans and I don’t think I knew the true meaning and extent of their service until I met Ken! Being able to make a difference in someone's life is priceless, and it gives me great fulfillment to know I can help!
How does it feel to be a Role Model for so many young women? My hope is that young girls all over the United States can be influenced by the work of the USA Cheerleaders and the DCC. The two organizations have similar values and promote the idea of the intelligent, driven and successful American woman.
Knowing that young women look up to me makes me feel accountable for all of my decisions. I know that as a role model I am to teach by example. I try my best everyday to live up to our standards along with being thankful for everyday.
What advice would you give to a younger you? Know that you cannot control what happens in the world around you. All you can control is yourself, so impact the world with your bright positive light! Keep going, girl, and audition every chance you get! Everything will be OK!
Let us in on a secret! Were try outs for DCC as hard as it seems on the show "CMT Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team"? The DCC audition and training camp was indeed the hardest audition process I have ever endured. I was always used to a same day or even same week auditions, but never a three month long training camp where you can get cut on any given night.We learned about 50 sidelines and tags along with the famous kick line and split. Every night was like an audition and I felt like I was dancing for my life every time I put those white cowboy boots on (they are real Lucchese cowboy boots by the way). It was the hardest summer of my life but definitely the most rewarding. Making the team felt like winning a marathon!
I suppose there is a reason that the DCC are the best of the best. They do not settle.
What advice would you give to aspiring young women who want to try out for DCC or other professional Cheerleading teams? I would tell them to be confident in who they are. Being a DCC requires poise, intelligence, dance ability and having a great personality.
I would also begin taking technique and performance dance classes, along with strength building and stretching. Those splits will come… I promise!
How many years do you plan on being a DCC? Like we all say, I am enjoying each season as it comes and I am taking it one year at a time!
Where do you see yourself after your tenure with the DCC is complete? I’d like to move up in the corporate world and continue with my legal marketing career. I am also planning on opening a dance and fitness studio with my soon to be husband. I will also be involved in community theater with my beautiful soon to be step daughters!
