Hey now, she’s an all-star. ⭐ Morgan Simianer is a professional cheerleader and stars in Netflix’s Cheer. She’s without a doubt a fan fav (and our fav here at The Newsette) for her authenticity and vulnerability on / off camera.

Keep reading to learn why she didn’t need gymnastics lessons to kick-start her career, how she practices self-care, and why “never take life for granted” and “everything happens for a reason” are the truest clichés out there.

Was there a specific moment when you realized you wanted to make cheer a career?
Yeah! I cheered at the University of Wyoming for one semester, but they didn’t have the competitiveness I wanted, so that’s when I tried out for Navarro. I had this drive to compete and perform instead of just being on the sidelines, so once I got to Navarro, I was like, “Ok, this is where I’m meant to be.”

True or false: You have to start doing gymnastics at a young age to be a pro cheerleader.
False. I never did gymnastics and started cheering very late in the game. Your background and age don’t really matter. To learn the skills I have now, I’d watch videos and try them out. But I would recommend taking classes and being coached, for your own safety.

Being constantly active takes a toll on your body. How do you find time for self-care?
If I’m stressed, that’s when bubble baths or face masks come into play, but another thing I do is share my feelings with my support system, so my boyfriend, grandparents, friends, and even my cat, Louis Boujee Vuitton [laughing].

What’s one lesson you’ve learned from being on Cheer?
To never take anything for granted. I thought I was going to have more time with my teammates, but it went by so fast, and I wish I would’ve contributed more and tried a little bit harder in practice. So you should always give everything 100% no matter what, even if you think it might not matter at the time. Things really can be gone in the blink of an eye.

How did you get used to being recorded all the time?
At first it was a little weird because you had cameras all around you and a microphone on, but after we got to know the film crew, we learned they were absolute sweethearts and actually cared about our well-being. They were genuine people, so that made it easier to joke around at practices. Plus, once you’re focused on the cheer, you don’t even remember the cameras are there.

When things get rough, do you have a motto or affirmation to keep you going?
I’ve used “everything happens for a reason” for a really long time. Sometimes you don’t understand why something bad is happening, but later you realize, “Oh, I was going through this tough situation so I could help other people, or to become more appreciative of what I have.” It even applies to the small things too, like when your makeup doesn’t turn out the way you wanted. Tomorrow’s always a brand new day where you can get up and try again.