Allison "Sunnie" Capps has been a cheerleader since the age of ten.
For the senior psychology major at Stetson University, cheerleading has always been her one true athletic passion.
"I joined a competitive team because one of my friends at school was on it, and I never left," said Capps. "I competed from then all the way through my senior year of high school. I joined my high school's sideline team during my junior and senior years. I was captain both years, as well as earning 'Most Inspirational' during my junior year and 'MVP' during my senior year.
"My favorite things about cheerleading are the bonds you form and the memories you make. There have been so many opportunities and experiences I have had thanks to cheerleading that I am so grateful for and will never forget."
Capps was born and raised in Yreka, Calif. (Pronounced wy-REE-kuh)
Her dad, Jeff Capps, just retired from teaching high school culinary arts and is now opening a bakery in her hometown. Her mom, Brenda Shelton, is a labor and delivery nurse.
Capps is the second of four children. Her older sister, Victoria, is working on her degree online. Her younger brother, Bobby, is currently a senior at Yreka High School and her youngest sister, Olivia, is in middle school and on her school’s volleyball team.
She comes from a close-knit family and was a little sad to leave them when she graduated from high school in 2023 and moved 3,000 miles away to attend college at Stetson.
"I chose Stetson University because I wanted to try being far, far away from home," said Capps. "After getting here, I fell in love with our beautiful campus, Stetson's welcoming and kind atmosphere, and the way our community and the amazing city of DeLand always comes together in support of all we do here at Stetson!"
Capps is a natural-born leader, which is why she was named a captain for two years in high school and currently is one of four seniors on this year's Stetson cheer team.
"I have always enjoyed being a leader and 'get it done right' type of person, even as a little girl," said Capps. "I used to get all of my friends together in elementary school and direct plays with them at recess. One of my teachers once saw us doing this and said, 'Of course, Sunnie would be the director.'"
The biggest influence in Capps' life is her ‘Granny.’
"You can find pieces of her in every part of me," said Capps. "The way I speak, the way I present myself, the way I treat others, my morals and values, all of it. She was loved by so many, and I hope to be even half of the woman she was."
Capps' grandmother was a big influence in her life in many ways, but one of the main things she learned from her is to always be positive and love big.
"I would like to be remembered as someone who always tried to stay positive and love big," said Capps. "Love her people, love her passions, and give and do everything she can for those things. This world is also way too heavy to not stay positive and be grateful for all of your blessings. One of my favorite sayings is 'you are what you love,' and I always try to stay true to that."
One of the things Capps loves about cheerleading is the opportunity to engage with the community.
"I love going out for appearances and always being able to connect with a community member or bond with children who look up to us," said Capps. "That is truly my favorite part of all that we do in this program."
Capps plans to continue being part of the cheer community after graduation next year.
"After college, I want to continue working within the cheer realm, most likely in coaching," said Capps.
This story was developed using FanWord. The author and subject provided the initial concept and dialogue, with FanWord's AI tool generating the narrative structure and expanding descriptive passages.
