Ashland University student, Jacklyn Harris has spent her life before college adoring the musical trumpet life and competing in cheerleading. When she enrolled at AU, she was faced with a tough decision; what to choose?  

Harris has played the trumpet since she was five years old and has been interested in it ever since. 

At AU, Harris is a music education major involved in, AU football and basketball cheer, symphonic band, jazz orchestra, brass ensemble, the AU marching band, and choir.  

During her freshman year, she met with the AU Head Cheer Coach, Denise Farnsworth and Director of Bands, Joseph Lewis Jr. to discuss keeping both of her favorite activities in her schedule. The importance couldn’t win one over the other in Harris’ mind.  

 “In high school, I cheered, and that’s the reason why I came to AU. . . and then I was like, well, maybe I can do marching band too. . . I’m very thankful that they could make it work,” said Harris in regard to her coach and band director’s help.  

Harris’ schedule is busiest on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with workouts beginning at 8 a.m. After going to class all day, she makes her way across campus to attend cheer practice from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. 

Her busiest area with these two colliding activities is football days. Harris begins her day with the cheer team, missing the band practice. She misses the pregame warmup and leaves her cheering teammates just minutes before the halftime show, to play with the marching band.  

What led Harris into cheerleading was gymnastics in her younger years. She said that tumbling led her to stunt, which ultimately led her to cheer.  

“Originally, I was a gymnast,” she said. “I did gymnastics from age four to fourteen. Then I thought, maybe I could do cheer, that would be cool!” 

This decision led her to her beloved sport, and eventually into what would become her double sided path at AU.