Erica Alexander, a senior at Robertsdale High, is committed to being the best Golden Bear cheerleader that she can be.

“I guess I’ve been into cheerleading since my family moved here from New Jersey, back when I was in the fourth grade,” Alexander said. “Back then I cheered for the Loxley Bengals.”

The daughter of Annamarie and Mike Alexander of Loxley, Erica has two sisters, Kayla Alexander and Crystal Sizemore, and a brother, Lance Alexander.

“When I got to Central Baldwin Middle School, I tried out and made the squad there,” she said. “Here at the high school I’ve cheered for four years, but my ultimate goal is to make a squad at the collegiate level.”

Even with all of her sideline experience Alexander still takes tumbling lessons, as she knows that tumbling and stunting is a major part of the college cheerleading experience.

“I’ve seen some of the top programs in the country compete on ESPN,” Alexander said, “and you can see all of the hard work and extra practices that went into each college’s presentation. Recently the University of Alabama was named the top cheerleading program in the nation.”

Although cheering and Alexander are somewhat synonymous she is involved in the art club, and is a member of the National Honor Society. She was a member of Interact her freshman year.

“I’m also our class president for the RHS Student Government Association,” she said.

Alexander’s summers have been filled with cheering clinics, camps and the raising of needed funds. Because cheering takes so much time Alexander hasn’t had the opportunity get a summer job. That, however, will change once second semester starts.

“I’ll only be taking two classes,” she said, “so I should be able to get a job at that time.”

Many of the universities hold their cheerleading tryouts in April.

“I know I’ll need to research each school that I’m interested in,” she said. “I’ll need to find out the dates, as well what they require you know when you try out before the judges.”

Alexander said she planned on taking the ACT again this year.

“I made a 21 the first time I took it, but I feel I can do much better than that,” she said.

Alexander’s current Grade Point Average is a 4.1, and she is ranked 10th in her class.

“I would love to become a nurse anesthetist,” she said. “I know I’ll have to earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing, work for a year in an emergency room or intensive care unit, and then apply to anesthelogy school. To become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) I’m probably looking at eight years of college. If I decided to become an anesthetist I’m looking at medical school, because you have to be a doctor at that level.”

Alexander said she participated in the Summer Scrubs program her junior year.

“When I get the time, such as in the summer, I like to volunteer down at South Baldwin Regional Hospital,” she said.

Because her schedule is crammed with school work, cheering and the clubs she is involved with, Alexander said she didn’t have a lot of time for other things.

“I know it’ll be a lot more of the same in college because nursing is very intense and I’ll have to devote so much time to it,” she said. “Still, I think it’ll be worth it because people’s lives are in your hands.”

Should she make the cheerleading squad at the college level Alexander knows she’ll be walking a tightrope between her commitments.

“I’ve been able to handle the pressure so far,” she said. “I just need to set my goals, plan my time, and stick to it.”