Be of good cheer
Sammie LaBeau’s smile lights up a room. Considering the darkness that’s been a part of her life, it’s a magical thing.
The 17-year-old Chelsea High senior cheerleader is a Bryant-Jordan Student-Achievement regional winner, nominated by her school and selected by a committee of administrators from Class 6A, Region 5.
LaBeau has succeeded in school and in life despite being dealt a difficult hand. Her mother died from a stroke in 2012. Her father died from complications from alcoholism the next year.
Taken in by her cousins Chrissy and Brian Beavers after her mom passed away, Sammie (she prefers that to “Samantha”) admits she was depressed for several months. And after her father died, she decided she could either go on being depressed or go on living. She chose to embrace life, and got involved in even more school activities.
“After my parents passed away, I felt like I needed to do everything to make them proud, be the kind of person they would want me to be. It’s a bad situation, but I just don’t see why I shouldn’t draw something good from it.
“I wouldn’t be in all the clubs I’m involved with if it hadn’t happened this way,” she said. “I felt like I — I don’t want to say I want to ‘inspire’ people because that sounds dumb …”
But Chelsea High Assistant Principal Joshua Britnell said that’s exactly what she does, inspire others.
“She’s seemingly always positive, coming from the situation that she’s come from as difficult as that’s been, always has a smile on her face and a bounce in her step.
“Things aren’t always easy for her here, either, dealing with issues that girls deal with in high school, be they relationships and that kind of stuff. And even through the day-to-day stuff, she’s still found a way to be a good role model for our younger cheerleaders and for our younger students as well.”
She’s been a cheerleader since seventh grade. She’s captain of the squad, and when the cheer squad went to perform at halftime of the 2014 Sugar Bowl, she was named the Worldstrides Allstate Sugar Bowl MVP out of 700 performers. She was also a United Cheer Association All-American.
“She’s not just the captain, she’s definitely a leader in that group as well,” Britnell said. “She’s not going to brag on herself like she should, because she’s not like that, but she’s always setting up dances and cheers and things like that and always instructing in a positive way.”
She carries a 4.03 grade-point average, easily placing her in the top 15 percent of her class.
She’s a member of the National Honor Society and is vice president of the senior class. She’s a member of the Spanish Honor Society, Theta Club, Mu Alpha Theta, a member of the Student Government Association and vice president of the Key Club.
“For a school this size, it’s really remarkable for her to be involved in all of that,” Britnell said. “And to have active roles in them, not just be a bystander.”
The overall winners will be selected by a statewide committee comprised of school administrators and state business leaders.
LaBeau and the other 103 students will be recognized at the Bryant-Jordan Banquet set for Birmingham’s Sheraton Hotel Ballroom on April 13. Her cousins will be there with her, her older sister Stephanie, a couple of friends, and a past cheer coach, Jana Gleaton.
LaBeau said she plans to attend Auburn and major in pharmacy, and she’s thinking about going out for cheerleader her sophomore year. Beyond that, she’s not sure yet.
Whatever path she chooses, it seems pretty likely she’s going to find a way to stay involved, and inspire others along the way as she has at Chelsea.