CULLMAN, Ala. — Cullman Christian’s Destiny Siegel collected her diploma recently and in this interview, she shares some of her favorite memories from her time cheerleading alongside her friends and teammates.
“Some of my favorite memories are from going on trips to other schools for away games. I especially loved being able to talk to my friends on the way there and the calm rides back after the games. My best friend, Reagan Calvert, cheered with me as well, and I remember sitting next to her almost every bus ride just talking for hours. The practices after school were sometimes tedious and a struggle, but I had some of the best times with the other girls on the team,” Siegel said. “It was hard at times. However, I learned a lot about friendship from them. They stood up for me and helped me with anything I needed help with. They really showed me what Christian friendships were like and how to build a good foundation of people around you to really thrive in a community like that. They were always there for me.”
Destiny cheered under a couple of different coaches at Cullman Christian, and she soaked up as much as she could from both of them.
“My first year, I had Rebekah Lockhart. She was incredibly motivational and supportive to the entire squad. She put us first on quite a few occasions and made sure we practiced and looked good on the court. My second year, I had Amanda Rice, and she led the team with kindness while also making sure we did what we needed to do. She even drove me to an away game one time when I didn’t have a ride, and she never once complained. Even if we continuously messed up on one thing, she talked us through it and made sure we all had smiles on our faces at the end of the day, no matter what,” Siegel said. “I learned determination and setting goals that help you grow and learn from Mrs. Lockhart, and from Mrs. Rice, I learned how to be kind while also being respected and listened to.”
Some of her favorite memories came from bus rides with her teammates and she will miss so much about cheering at Cullman Christian.
“I definitely enjoyed away games more than home games. Seeing the courts at other schools and having those long bus rides are some things I’ll definitely cherish when I look back on my high school years,” Siegel said. “I will remember the friendships and the feeling of accomplishment when I finally got something I’d been practicing for weeks. My friends stood by me for all four years at Cullman Christian, and they helped me get through the hardest times of my life. I’ll always miss them and try to visit them as much as I can, because they supported me so much.”
Destiny made so many great high school memories at Cullman Christian that it was hard for her narrow it down
“I loved anything that I did with Reagan, from the plays and performances we did through theater and choir, to being in class and asking our teachers questions about life. I enjoyed talking to a few of my teachers about anything and everything, especially Mrs. Robertson. She was always close to me and my problems and always supported my love of reading and writing. I still feel like I can’t thank her enough for what she’s done. Another one of my favorite memories is making a diamond painting of my Bible teacher, Mr. Rutherford, as a gag gift for Christmas. It had hundreds of dots, and it took Reagan and I hours to complete it. One thing I’ll definitely remember is the look on his face as we gave it to him. I also remember all of the speeches I gave during my time at Cullman Christian. I found a love of public speaking through all of my time writing, revising, and giving speeches there.”
She will cherish the time that she spent at Cullman Christian, and a lot of people helped her out in a big way while she was there.
“What made Cullman Christian special to go to was the community. My teachers and friends supported me throughout everything. When I was struggling with my faith, I went to my teachers. They gave me one-on-one advice about specific things I was dealing with and even gave me Bible verses for me to look at when I needed to. The friends I made there are still around and still keep up with me, even the ones that have already graduated. All of my friends were there for me when I needed it, late nights or early mornings. The community of people there is unmatched. The amount of time the teachers spend learning about their students and creating lifelong relationships with them is amazing.”
Destiny participated in several clubs while she was in school and learned a lot from those experiences as well.
“I’ll always remember the advice my teachers gave me when I was having a tough day, and I was overwhelmed with everything. They always told me to pray and that God will provide for me, and He won’t give me anything I can’t get through. I’ll miss all the people that helped me through my journey, all the time I spent with my classmates, and I know I’ll miss learning Trigonometry, Apologetics, and English from those that also taught me how to care for others, be empathetic, and never give up,” she said. “I did Choir and theater my whole four years at Cullman Christian, and I was part of the Math Team with the rest of my Trigonometry class. I did the Chic-fil-A Leader Academy with my classmates, and I was also part of the 30s Club for my reading score on the ACT,” she said. “All of those extracurricular activities helped me with my determination and perseverance throughout my school years. Choir and theater were a bit anxiety-inducing at some points, but they really helped me break out of my shell back when I was really shy. My Math Team practice really helped me to focus and push through while also helping my critical thinking. What I’ll really take away from all of those activities is the partnership and bonds I made with the people around me. We all helped each other study and practice so we could be the best together.”
Destiny earned several scholarships from some multiple colleges, and she is looking forward to getting started at the University of North Alabama this fall.
“I got a Presidential Scholarship to Alabama A&M and Wallace State, an Honors College Scholarship to UNA, along with another $7,500 scholarship to UNA. I received the Tennessee Valley Scholarship and the Raymond F. and Mary Deeters Endowed Scholarship from UNA as well. I was truly honored to have all of those scholarships. It made me feel incredibly accomplished and like all of my hard work really paid off. I’ll be attending UNA this August, and I will major in Entrepreneurship. I really enjoyed the way the school felt overall. The town of Florence, while being a big town, has a small town feel to it and is somewhat reminiscent of Cullman. The people at UNA were welcoming and accepting. The campus felt like home, and the people felt like my friends already.”
Destiny shared some advice with the students that will be starting high school in August and she talked about the role God has played in her life as well.
“I’d definitely tell them to go in with an open mind and a loving heart. As someone that had a rough time in elementary and middle school, I felt very closed off starting high school. The people at Cullman Christian helped me come out of my shell, but it took a lot. You never know what could be going on in someone’s life when you see them, so I would just say to look at people for who they are, not what they seem to be,” she said. “He has been a foundation of my life since I was a kid, and He’s always been there for me. When I felt like I was alone, I would pray and talk to Him, and He would show me the people in my life I cared about. When I wanted to give up, He put people in my life that encouraged me and built me up, and when I felt like I wasn’t good enough, He assured me through signs and through my friends that I was on the right track. I just needed to keep believing in Him, and everything would work out in His glory.”
Destiny shared a couple of her favorite Bible verses that helped her through tough times in her life.
“One of my favorite Bible verses is Proverbs 16:24: ‘Kind words are like a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones’. This has been my favorite verse for years now. This verse has inspired me to use kinder words when talking to people, and not to put others down. After attending Cullman Christian, I learned how important it is to be nice to others and to show the love of God through your words. Another verse that has meant a lot to me recently has been Luke 6:27-31: ‘But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you’,” Destiny said. “This verse means so much to me, because I truly have struggled with forgiving those that have hurt me. After discovering this verse, I prayed on it for a long time and was eventually able to let go of all my resentment and pain from my younger years, and it lifted a huge burden off my shoulders. This verse really did help me with the things I had struggled with in my darkest times.”
She wants people to remember for the way she was around other people and for helping point them towards God.
“I want people to remember me as the kind of person they could go to for anything and not be judged. I tried my best to support those around me and give the best advice I could while pointing them towards God. I want to be remembered as the kind of person that never turned anyone away because of their past and accepted everyone for who they are. I hope that people remember me as the kind of person that truly cared for others and genuinely wanted to know them for who they are and not the person people say they are. The amount of people at Cullman Christian that came to me with issues they were too afraid to talk about with anyone else encouraged me to keep pushing through my own struggles so I could give more experienced advice with certain things.”
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