Pillar Spotlight: HEART & ACT with Ms. Morris @ Cheer/Dance Practice!

Learn all about how Ms. Morris is supporting the cheer/dance team at ChangeMakers Academy! ​

All about Keyauna Morris @ Caliber: ChangeMakers Academy: 
I was born and raised in Vallejo, CA and it is a blessing to serve kids in my community. I have been apart of many cheer and dance teams starting at the age of 8 all throughout college. It helped me become confident in expressing myself in front of an audience and made me a team player. I have built sisterhood with my cheer and dance sisters that still thrives today and we still remember cheers and dances from when we were kids. I showed my students a few cheers at recess one day and they came to my class after school that day and asked, “Miss Morris, we were wondering if you could be our cheer coach?” My heart smiled as I answered yes. I am using this cheer and dance team to embrace the importance of health and fitness, teamwork, leadership, and self-discipline.

A recent interview with Keyauna Morris: ​

What is your favorite thing about Caliber: ChangeMakers Academy? 
"One of my favorite things about Caliber: CMA is the Computer Science program because I have been able to adapt my lessons to what my students want to learn and make it more interesting to them, while including technology, reading, writing, math, and social skills. I also love seeing the growth and ideas manifest here at CMA. I am appreciative to those here constantly adapting to our students needs and creating a space for students to be able to connect and want to learn."

Tell me more about the work you are doing with the cheer squad? 
"We officially started the cheer squad mid-April of 2019. We practice cheer and dance 3 days a week during our 30-minute lunch/recess. Practice consists of stretching, exercising, learning routines, and most importantly bonding. Through this bond, I am encouraging them to embrace this role as cheerleaders who consistently work hard to uplift our community as a team. Many kids do not do things outside of school due to family finances, transportation, or other issues that hinder students from being involved in extracurricular activities. This is why I am supporting the cheerleaders in being role models and an inspiration to their peers and everyone in their community to start their own teams and organizations of their interest."

What has been your favorite memory with the cheer/ dance group squad so far? 
"My favorite memory with our team so far is our first performance at the SBAC pep rally! We volunteered to perform the week of, so that left us with little time to practice. They had a field trip that week and few girls missed practice, but they still performed very well!" 

If you can relate the work you do to one of our pillars, which would it be?
"I would say Heart and ACT- for heart more so because I am teaching them to build positive relationships with people. They are working as a team and they are learning to combine differences and similarities to come together and move towards one goal, this is definitely a skill that’s important to learn at an early age. They are able to accept help and help others without putting each other down. ACT because that is the leadership piece of our squad. We are cheering people up and and being role models for others."

What is one fun fact that most people don't know about you?
"I played the clarinet, trombone, and piano growing up. I have always been theatrical behind closed doors, but I get shy in front of the camera. When I was younger my mom would take me to auditions and I would freeze on stage. Cheerleading helped me become confident in front of an audience. I still dream of acting or being some type of musical performer. I see that dream coming true, but in the meantime I work behind the camera as a photographer and multimedia creator."