By Richard LeComte
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Jermaine Harris Jr., better known around campus as Jay, has had to do some leaping and tumbling to finish his degree at the University of Kentucky – and not just because he’s a cheerleader. Deaths of key family members who were helping him with tuition and expenses left him in the lurch as he approached his last year at UK.
“I lost my grandfather and my uncle within the span of 11 days,” he said. "My mom's brother ended up passing away of meningitis. And my grandfather ended up passing away from a rare cancer. I could go to those two and say, ‘Hey, I need money for tuition by the end of the semester ... could you help me out?’ They always found a way. I lost that support.”
But once university officials heard of Harris’ situation, he received help from the College of Arts and Sciences’ Finish Line Fund, which provides scholarships that help students financially to finish their degrees. In Harris’ case, the money helped him make it to the finish line and thrive while completing his degree.
“The scholarship helped me complete my fourth year, which I feel has been probably one of my best years, both mentally and socially,” said Harris, a health, society and populations major. “It helped me with everything in the sense of key necessities such as schooling, housing, food, transportation and extras went to small things, like being able to go out and eat and enjoy my time with friends. Knowing that the scholarship has helped me in those ways has definitely been one of those things that means more to me than just financial help.”
Harris, who intends to pursue additional training and a career in nursing, grew up in the southside of Chicago. Multiple tragedies in his family led to housing insecurity and challenges with school. when he was 16, during COVID, he moved in with the family of his friend Carlos and transferred schools would things start to change.
“They changed the trajectory of how I lived,” he said. “Everything started to open up; I finally had my own room and everything.”
He ended up at Oak Forest High School. Harris was on the wrestling team at his previous school, but he transferred in the middle of the wrestling season. As a result, he wasn’t on the squad at Oak Forest.
"A friend of mine, Andrea Correa, said, ‘Hey, can you fill in on the cheerleading team?’”
At first, Harris wasn’t interested. But after Correa explained that it wouldn’t be sideline cheer (what Harris does now) and the coaches encouraged him to see if he would like the sport, he gave it a shot.
Once he saw the women on the team working hard and making tumbling skills look easy, he grew to appreciate the sport as an outlet for his athleticism. The cheerleading team took him on his path to the USA Junior National Coed team. Being a part of "JUCO" was what helped him network with collegiate athletes, which recruited him for teams.
“I had an interest in going to UK — it was like my dream school — but I didn't think that I would be able to.”
Harris received a call from the Kentucky Cheerleading team for an in-person tryout before offering him a spot. That was when the Big Blue Nation got to see Harris in action on the cheerleading team under coach Ryan O’Connor. Because of his background in athletics, including football as well as wrestling, Harris became invested in all the tumbling, twisting, spinning and family-oriented connections that cheerleading encompasses.
Harris’ nickname is “Torch,” in honor of a move he performs with his female partner, or flyer, called a “torch.”
“A torch is when the girl is standing on one leg and the guy is holding onto one foot," he said. The flyer stands tall, chest facing forward, held in the air completely by Harris. The flyer's free leg points to the side, bent like a runner mid-stride. It is a difficult position to hold for both partners, requiring balance and strength.
UK’s excellence in nursing and health sciences drew Harris to the campus along with cheerleading. He had thought about pursuing a career in veterinary medicine, but thanks to a high school class in childcare, he began to consider obstetrics. He now plans to take additional training after graduating to work as an OB/GYN nurse.
“I would rather be hands on delivering children” he said of his professional aspirations. With support from the Finish Line Fund, he is one step closer to making his dream a reality.
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