Jennifer Johnson
NEMCC Cheerleading Coach 2009

Jennifer Johnson bounced her way into being the Northeast Mississippi Community College cheerleading coach in late October 2008.

Johnson, who has been involved cheerleading for the majority of her lifetime, started her cheer career as one of 15 cheerleaders at J. Sterling Morton East High School in Ciero, Ill., where the student population was made up of more than 5,800 students.

Following graduation, Johnson and her family moved to Booneville with Johnson eventually joining the Itawamba Community College Indianette dance team before coming back to Prentiss County and Northeast.

After graduating from the University of Mississippi in May 1999 with a bachelor's degree in elementary education, Johnson joined the staff at Olive Branch Middle School where she was the seventh grade language arts instructor and in charge of 24 eighth grade cheerleaders her first year.

Johnson rose to the top of the cheerleading ranks when she took the New Site High School cheerleading squad to a second place finish in the Mississippi High School Activities Association's State Cheerleading Competition in 2005. Johnson pushed the New Site cheerleaders to a second place finish in the Universal Cheerleading Association's (UCA) Dixie Championship Regional earning the Lady Royals a berth in the 2006 UCA High School Nationals in Orlando, Fla., in 2006. Johnson's team turned in a 26-place performance in the national competition and earned a superior squad rating.

Johnson decided to take time off from cheerleading to take care of her baby boy after almost two years at New Site but the spirit was still there and when the position opened at Northeast in the fall 2008, Johnson bounded at the chance.

During her time in northeast Mississippi, Johnson has also taught at Baldwyn Middle School and coached cheerleading squads at Marietta Elementary School.

Johnson led the Marietta Lady Raiders to a third place showing in both 2003 and 2004 and received the Most Improved squad at cheerleading camp.

Johnson also sponsors her own cheerleading gymnasium ' Northeast Mississippi Academy of Cheerleading' that opened in September 2004.

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