Wolf freshman cheerleader Julie Bucio takes a break from performing at a CHS basketball game. (John Fisken photo)
Bucio (left), hanging out with fellow cheerleader Brittany Starr. (Photo courtesy Bucio)
Being a cheerleader has been a life-long dream for Julie Bucio.
Now, the Coupeville High School freshman is living the dream on a daily basis, and it’s been everything she hoped for, and more.
“I’m doing cheer because I wanted to meet more people and always wanted to do cheer ever since I was young,” Bucio said. “I always thought it was the coolest thing to do.”
She’s one of 10 Wolves who made the jump from the fall cheer squad to the winter team, taking her spirit and hard work indoors for basketball season.
A firm believer in the CHS cheer program’s dedication to Ohana, being a family, Bucio has picked up a ton of new sisters along the way.
“The thing that I mostly enjoy about doing cheer is all the wonderful new friends I have made,” she said. “They always seem to put me in a good mood.
“Also, I enjoy pumping up the crowd!”
While her school still considers cheer an activity, as opposed to a sport, Bucio, having gone through the behind-the-scenes work, begs to differ.
“I feel like it’s not a activity, it’s a sport because we actually work as hard as all the other sports,” Bucio said. “Cheerleading is not all about wearing cute uniforms; we actually work out and try to perfect our routines, which is a lot of work, if you ask me!”
When she’s not cheering, Bucio is involved in choir (“so that kind of keeps me busy, too”) and enjoys science class (“I just love science and I think it’s very interesting”).
She also plans to cap a busy first year of high school by possibly playing tennis in the spring.
Whether it’s sports, class work or day-to-day life, Bucio is grateful for her friends and family, who are always there to support her.
Her parents have always been her biggest boosters.
“I have to say a person who has really impacted my life is my mom!,” Bucio said. “She is always there for me, no matter what, and she supports my decisions and is always by my side and I love her for that.
“My dad also has been there for me too,” she added. “He always supports my decisions too and has my back!”
