Pearce special education teacher Haley Utz first knew she wanted to start an inclusion cheer team on campus when one of her former students expressed interest in finding a team to join, but there were not any teams offering something like this at the time.
A parent of another of Mrs. Haley’s students came across an organization called Generation Spirit, which focuses on bringing together peers with and without disabilities in various ways through clubs and teams, such as cheer, and the Pearce Spirit Stangs were born.
In February 2020, Mrs. Haley formed Pearce’s first inclusive cheer squad, which has now become part of the school’s official spirit organizations. Spirit Stangs has grown in popularity and members since then. Although the pandemic created a few setbacks for the team when it initially formed, the squad is fully back to regular operations and experiencing another great year.
For the 2022-23 school year, the Spirit Stangs include eight members who identify with a disability, and six students who do not. The Spirit Stangs meet every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to practice their cheers. Mrs. Haley stresses her message that within Spirit Stangs, everyone has a place, and that these students can do anything their peers can do.
What brings Mrs. Haley the most joy is seeing the support the squad members receive from the Pearce community, whether they are cheering on the sidelines of a football game or performing at a pep rally. The Spirit Stangs cheered at seven home football games in 2022, as well as performing at the Mustang Roundup and the annual Kick-Off Cookout.
The Spirit Stangs are led by Julia Strohmeyer, a Pearce senior and lead captain, and her two co-captains, senior Avery Marden and junior Cambelle Hawkins.
“Spirit Stangs is important to me because you make a really great group of friends while also participating in school spirit,” Strohmeyer said.
Marden added that she loves the constant positivity of the environment, and everyone is always supporting each other.
(This feature was written by Pearce senior Olivia Hayes, who is a member of the RISD Professional Internship Program that allows students to gain experience in a field or industry of their choice prior to taking college classes. Olivia is interning with RISD Strategy & Engagement and The RISD Foundation. She plans to study business marketing at the University of Missouri after graduation.)
