By Chris Cox
From a young age, Tecumseh senior Caleigh Crowley knew she wanted to cheer and eventually become a nurse. She has already achieved one of those goals and is currently working toward the other.
Since kindergarten Crowley has cheered and has achieved plenty of accolades for her cheerleading ability including being a two-time All-American and participating in the 95th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.
While those individual awards are great, Crowley says her main goal was to be a good role model for her teammates.
“My goal at the beginning of the season was to be a good leader for my team,” she says. “I wanted to work hard and be a role model for the next generation.”
That hard work has not just paid off with cheerleading but also with her work in the Advanced Health Careers program at Gordon Cooper Technology Center.
“She strives to do her very best in all she’s involved in,” says her instructor, Rachel Pritchett. “Her character is loved by many due to her kindness, organization, willingness to help, compassion, and grit to accomplish anything she sets her mind to.”
Crowley was drawn to the Advanced Health Careers program because of her longstanding interest in working in a healthcare field. But it is the real-world experience she gets at GCTC that she believes is invaluable.
“I love how the program focuses on the main part of the field I want to go in,” she says. “It also provides a lot of hands-on experience.”
Following her graduation from Tecumseh High School, Crowley plans on attending Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology in Okmulgee to get her degree in nursing or kinesiology and sports medicine. She’s confident her time at Gordon Cooper Tech will help her hit the ground running when she gets to college.
Along with cheering and taking classes at Gordon Cooper Tech, Crowley is a member of National Beta Club at Tecumseh High School, National Technical Honor Society, and volunteers with many organizations including the Oklahoma Blood Institute.
