Anson High student represents Anson County at the 2023 Magic Kingdom Thanksgiving Parade

Lauren Monica, The Anson Record, Wadesboro, N.C.
·2 min read

Dec. 22—WADESBORO — The 2023 annual Magic Kingdom Thanksgiving Day parade at Disney World in Florida went on this year without a hitch.

Mickey and the gang were dressed in their holiday finest to greet festively dressed princesses and other recognizable characters from the fairy tale realm.

Among the glitz, glamour, and holiday cheer oozing from every corner of the parade route through the park, one remarkable young woman stood out from the crowd. Currently a sophomore at Anson High School, the impressive Miss Jada Griffin was chosen to represent Anson County on the national stage.

Jada was selected out of a 100 cheerleaders around the world. Auditioning over the summer at the Universal Cheerleaders Association [UCA] sponsored cheerleading camp, the varsity cheerleader confides, "It felt good to be one of the only cheerleaders chosen to represent Anson."

The UCA was founded in 1974 by Jeff Webb and has been turning out well-trained, highly educated cheerleaders ever since. According to the organizations web site, to be a UCA All American Cheerleader one must audition for the honor, and once selected is eligible to receive invitations to participate in special events across the country, such as the Magic Kingdom Thanksgiving Parade.

Her proud mother, Janetta Wall, adds that Jada, "started out the year on the JV (junior varsity) team. Jada transitioned within this same year from JV to Varsity."

Jada credits a large part of her success to her Varsity Coach, Kristie McCollum, and her former JV Coach, McKayla Chavis. She believes both women have been instrumental in helping her accomplish so much in one year. Jada has been cheerleading for three years, though she does not feel that she will pursue cheerleading in college. Instead, the young straight A student is focused on professional goals with a more legalistic bent, saying,

"After high school I intend to focus on working towards being a lawyer for the military," Jada said.

Many family members were able to make the trip to Florida to support and cheer on the cheerleader in person. Jada fondly recalls moments spent between the festivities with her proud parents, Tobias and Janetta Wall, exploring the Magic Kingdom.

In addition to the memories Jada will always treasure of representing her state, county, and hometown nationally, she shares one moment that she will always remember — "My mother chasing me all over the Magic Kingdom with her camera..." Jada recalls. "She didn't want to miss videotaping a single moment."

Reach Lauren Monica at (843) 910-1020 or lmonica@ansonrecord.com