The Miami Dolphins cheerleaders on the field have continually cheered for the football team through the wins and losses.
Off the field, they return the favor in the community expecting no cheer in return.
The cheerleaders who are a staple of the franchise brought their energy, beauty, and talent to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in style. Proceeds from their swimsuit annual book, photographed from Key West to Miami Beach, benefited the rebuilding efforts in the Florida Keys through the Miami Dolphins Foundation.
The cheerleaders did not end there. Their efforts continued, inviting young cheerleaders from Sugarloaf Elementary School located in Key West to their practice facility recently. The Dolphins cheerleaders were informed of the effect Hurricane Irma had on their lives. Some of the young cheerleaders from Sugarloaf currently reside in shelters and trailers after the storm. Moreover, some remained with nothing.
We are all in this together, individually. The Dolphins squad though gives to the community, represent different nations moreover speak several different languages.
Two with relation to the Island nation of Haiti, Cheerleaders Jess and Amina not only enjoy being part of community efforts but also have the pride to continue the efforts when their days with the Dolphins cheerleaders end.
Jess, a captain and 3rd year on the squad, is Haitian decent, Amina a 2nd was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The Island in size and has an estimated 10.8 million people, making it the most populous country in the Caribbean Community and the second-most populous country in the Caribbean as a whole.
“It is so much fun, the diversity is amazing,” Jess stated. “It allows us to learn different cultures different backgrounds. We all at the end of the day share a common love for dance. It is an amazing sisterhood. ”
Jess who is a Miami native, is presently a nurse. As a Haitian she took the dream job path first then added her second love, cheering.
“I pretty much have the best of both worlds,” Jess stated. “I get to save lives and cheer on the sidelines.”
Jess always danced growing up, traveled to Tallahassee, FL to attend college at Florida State University completing her Bachelor’s degree in nursing. Eventually, she made it back home in Miami where she ultimately auditioned for the cheerleading squad and never looked back.
Haiti and its natives walk with their head up high in pride. In the midst of the French Revolution taking place between the years 1789–1799, slaves and free people of color revolted in the Haitian Revolution, culminating in the abolition of slavery and the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte’s army at the Battle of Vertières.
Afterward, the nation of Haiti was established on January 1, 1804, the first independent nation of Latin America and the Caribbean. Moreover, the only country in the western hemisphere to have defeated three European powers in France, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Haiti is the only nation in the world established as a result of a successful slave revolt.
“I have been dancing since I was five years old and started dancing in Haiti for a few years, ” Amina shared. “I moved to Miami, FL. when I was nine years old.”
With her feet in the United States Amina began taking dance classes through middle school and high school in addition to college for two years. Amina shared her Haitian parents were apprehensive to the idea of her becoming a Dolphins cheerleader.
“It was tough in the beginning; my parents wanted me to be a doctor. After one semester of taking biology classes, I realized it was not for me,” Amina stated. “ When my parents realized I was not happy, they encouraged me to pursue what I love and follow my dreams.”
Amina is not only proud to be a Dolphins cheerleader from where she has come from but grateful for the platform she has to inspire countless other women.
“I love the opportunity that I have to inspire other women in the Haitian community to follow their dreams,” Amina shared. “Just know that anything is possible as long as they try hard and work their hardest.”
Amina and the Dolphins cheerleaders collectively share that response. Pampering the young girls from Sugarloaf with fun, individual interaction and learning a new routine. The young cheerleaders also received new golden pom poms and tickets to a Dolphins game at Hardrock Stadium.
