STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: Supporting others, on and off the field
Katie Guerra’s role as a base is foundational to the San Diego State University cheerleading team — she serves as a building block of the routine for timing, rhythm and for flyers to do their jumps and aerial stunts.
“In cheerleading, we’re doing all sorts of flips and twists and things that I don’t think the body should really even be able to do,” Guerra said. “I love being able to see (my teammates) so joyful and so excited and proud of themselves for being able to do something that they never thought that their body could achieve.”
Guerra has always been attracted to supportive and serving roles. When she had decided to transfer to SDSU from California State University, San Marcos, Guerra chose to major in child development in hopes to become an occupational therapist at a children’s hospital.
Now a senior, she said she appreciates how the classes she has been taking are science-based. Guerra remembers how on her first day, her class got to focus on physical development, which sparked her interest and reinforced her belief that she was in the right place.
“I’ve been able to take a bunch of electives that align with OT (occupational therapy) and be able to learn and do different field work placements that are very helpful to my future career,” Guerra said. “It’s been great and all the professors have been the best.
“I also absolutely love that you become super close with your classmates because a lot of us are always in the same classes. I’ve been able to get great connections, great internships and things like that from all of them.”
Guerra said one of the most rewarding aspects of being in the child development program is the opportunity to do field work. Guerra was able to work in a special education classroom at Hardy Elementary School as young people with disabilities are a population she hopes to work with after graduation.
“It’s definitely such a helping profession, a serving profession,” Guerra said. “I feel like that’s something I’ve always been called to do. I wasn’t exactly sure what that looked like until I got introduced to the idea of occupational therapy.”
As a cheerleader her whole life, Guerra is no stranger to pain and injuries — during her own career she had a detrimental back injury and also tore the Anterior Cruciate Ligament in her knee. Through the help of medical professionals and her family and friends, Guerra was able to gain her physical abilities, strength and independence back.
Those experiences are part of the reason occupational therapy interests her.
“I know what it’s like to not be able to do the things that bring you that joy and that make you feel like the most free version of yourself,” Guerra said. “After being introduced to a lot of people in the disabled population, (I think) people underestimate them so much in the sense of their abilities.”
When referencing her working with students with disabilities in Bulgaria this summer through the Therapy Abroad program, she adds: “There’s still so much more that they’re able to do that people don’t necessarily realize because they don’t let them. It’s very important to me that everybody gets the opportunity to be able to be the truest and the fullest version of themselves.”
Guerra’s belief in empowerment bridges into her work in cheer, as well. Outside the big games and bright lights of performances, the SDSU cheer squad does many community outreach activities and events. Guerra especially enjoys the times when she gets to interact with kids like at the N7 men’s basketball game, an annual event that benefits Indigenous youth sports.
“Seeing the joy and seeing them understand the opportunity that’s ahead of them, I think that’s beautiful,” Guerra said.
After an incredible three years at SDSU, Guerra hopes to take what she has learned on and off the court into her personal and professional life.
“I want to just be so encouraging to everybody because if somebody tells me that they have a goal, you know what, we're gonna make it,” Guerra said. “We’re gonna do it. That’s what really drives me.”
