As the 2025 school year concludes, senior DeRanae Jones graduates and says goodbye to Clover Hill. Jones has been influential during her years here and looks back fondly at her time at Clover Hill. From being in DECA, to being on the cheer team, Jones is grateful for her time here and the experiences she got from it.
Jones has been a cheerleader since she was three years old, and joined the Clover Hill Cheerleading team when she was a freshman. She stayed on all four years of high school and was the captain her senior year. Jones expresses how being on the cheer team and being a captain has taught her many skills
“As a person, it has taught me to be a leader,” Jones said. “And it has done the best for me.”
Jones shared her gratitude for cheer’s impact on her and the experiences she had in it. In the same vein, she spoke about the people she has met and the people she got to build a relationship with.
“It really teaches you to, I don’t know, to bond with people,” Jones said. “You make your own little family, your own little sisterhood.”
Jones recommends that students join activities and extracurriculars in school because it can make your high school experience better.
“I think that it is good to join stuff in school because if you don’t take up your entire time at school, then you’re not getting the full experience,” Jones said.
Being a cheer captain made Jones’ high school experience incredible; she expressed her love of being a captain and mentor to fellow teammates, as well as the hard work she put in for the position which she excelled in.
“I always wanted to be captain, It feels great.” Jones said. “I love feeling like a big sister to my team. I love being there to help and lead and give advice when it’s needed.”
Along with cheerleading, Jones was a member of the National Honors Art Society, a member of DECA, an officer in the African American Culture Club, and a member of Young Leaders for Change. She has also been awarded two All County Awards. Jones is attending college at Virginia State University for mass communications and a minor in business. She wants to be able to create films in the future.
“I want to create films, mostly about black experiences, or really anything.” Jones said. “I want to make films that people can sit and enjoy.”
The legacy that Jones leaves behind is her passion and dedication to the school and people around her.
