Student takes centre stage at World Cheerleading Championships thanks to fund
Thanks to a special fund in honour of an exceptional East Lothian woman, students at Queen Margaret University (QMU) will be able to take part in key activities that will enhance their student experience.
A generous £5k donation in memory of Susan Smith, an East Lothian resident who was a keen supporter for the University, will allow QMU’s International Hospitality, Tourism and Event Management students to take advantage of intra or extra-curricular projects, placement opportunities, and other personal development activities which will enrich their higher education journeys.
The Susan Smith IHTEM Student Development Fund will not only allow Steve Cairns to honour his late wife’s memory, but it will also help current students to maximise their university experience and remove barriers to fulfilling their potential.
Rebecca McQueen, current student at QMU, received an award of £670 through the fund to help her with the costs of competing at the world’s largest cheerleading competition at the end of this month.
She will use the money to cover competition, training, music licencing and uniform hire fees for the ICU Cheerleading World Championships at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida, at which she will be representing Scotland.
Rebecca’s love for the team sport grew during her time at QMU. She said: “When I joined QMU, I did a try-out for the Sapphires cheerleading squad and made the team. I’m now in my 3rd year cheering with them and currently captain the recreational team.
“I’ve made some of the best friendships within the Sapphires and amongst the other sports teams at QMU. I love being a part of everything it brings - from weekly training sessions, to travelling up and down the country competing, and on the road supporting fellow QMU sports clubs. There is a real sense of community amongst the QMU sports clubs and I’m glad to be part of it.”
In reference to her upcoming competition, Rebecca said: “I’m passionate about the development of sports, so being able to represent Scotland in cheerleading is an incredible accomplishment, giving me the opportunity to learn more about the sport at the highest level and sharing my knowledge with others.
"By competing at the World Championships, we will be able to generate more awareness of cheerleading as a sport in Scotland with the hopes of generating more funding and opportunities for cheer athletes in the future."
Rebecca is the first of many students to have received support from the Susan Smith IHTEM Student Development Fund. Before her death in 2022, Susan Smith worked for more than 20 years within the economic development team at East Lothian Council, helping to enable the relocation of QMU to East Lothian, and facilitating the University’s work to help the local economy thrive.
She was a tremendous advocate for East Lothian, and in her lifetime, Susan’s vision and ability to draw on expertise at QMU helped the institution become the first university to host a Business Gateway on campus, ensured a strong participation by East Lothian in the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, and enriched people’s lives by helping to create jobs, enabling them to make international connections, and creating well-loved events that have added so much to the cultural life of East Lothian.
This, and her work with QMU, has helped the people and communities of East Lothian, and beyond, to fulfil their potential.
The Cheerleading World Championships will be taking place on 26-29 April 2024 and can be viewed on the Olympic Channel, Flo Sports app or Varsity TV.
