Charles Henderson cheerleader Aubie Ranson has been cheerleading since she was three years old. On Wednesday, she fulfilled a life-long dream when she signed a National Letter of Intent with Trinity Valley Community College.

“It means the world to me,” Ranson said. “First and foremost, God blessing me with this opportunity and this gift to glorify him in. I have been working since I was 3 years old. I have been doing this for over 12 years.  Signing with a college has been by ultimate goal, to see it happen is unreal.”

As a 3-year-old, Ranson saw her older sisters participate in cheerleading and like many younger sisters, she wanted to join in. Since then she has grown to love cheerleading.

“It’s not about the sport, its more about the teamwork and the life lessons that it teaches me,” Ranson said. “It teaches me to be a better person and it teaches me to work with people. It’s a family-based sport.”

Ranson has had plenty of coaching throughout her 12 years in the sport, many of whom were in attendance on Wednesday morning.

“I wouldn’t be where I am today without all my coaches,” Ranson said.

Ranson’s signing was a unique event at Charles Henderson. Ranson is just a junior and just prior to her signing, Charles Henderson Principal Dr. Brock Kelley announced that neither he nor Athletic Director Brad McCoy couldn’t remember a time when a junior signed a National Letter of Intent.

“It’s a relief to finally know what I am going to do,” Ranson said. “It’s very exciting and I believe that more juniors and maybe even sophomores will start signing because there are some amazing athletes out here and especially in this school.

Trinity Valley made the decision an easy one for Ranson. When she paid a visit to the campus she immediately fell in love with the school and the cheerleading squad.

“When I visited the school, I met the team and they were so motivated,” Ranson said. “They were so dedicated to one another. That’s the kind of team that I want to be a part of. I loved everything about Trinity Valley.”

She still has another year, but Ranson ultimately wants to do some wildlife conservation work.

“I am very dedicated to protecting the endangered species of the world and conserving nature,” Ranson said.