McKenzie Williamson just wrapped up a successful cheer career at Hopkinsville that saw her squad qualify for both the KHSAA State Competition and UCA Nationals.
For the senior, it put the wraps on a cheer odyssey that lasted seven years through the different levels.
“Nationals was an experience that is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And I will say it’s truly a blessing to be able to be a part of this team and have the opportunity to go and compete on the national level,” she said.
While McKenzie possesses the athleticism to excel in cheer, she says it has also shaped her as a person.
“I’ve definitely been more confident over the years because I’ve realized it makes me a better person, and it also allows me to be a role model to the younger girls on the team and makes me a good leader.”
But she still has some unfinished work as she enters the final weeks as a high school student.
McKenzie was expecting to finish her athletic career on the softball diamond this spring, but Hopkinsville did not field a team this spring due to low participation numbers.
However, that has allowed McKenzie to pivot to competition in her high school clubs. She is a member of HOSA, a career and technical student organization that prepares students for the health science field. She competed in a CPR and first aid competition at the state level this month. She also competes in speech as part of the Hopkinsville FFA chapter.
For McKenzie, it’s a work-school-life balance she has learned to master.
“I definitely try to do all my work at school and sometimes at my co-op job. They allow me to work on some homework when it’s not really busy, and I’ll say having a schedule really helps. Having everything done at the right time is definitely a life-changing thing,” she said.
McKenzie is a principal’s list student at the Gateway Academy to Innovation and Technology and will attend Hopkinsville Community College with the intent to become a registered nurse and eventually a travel nurse.
Her grades and work ethic will make that an almost certainty to happen. But McKenzie also relies on her faith.
“I’m very proud of myself for just believing in God and always knowing that he has my back and will set me on the right path,” she said. “And to just not question him about bad things that are happening because bad things always happen before good things come.”
