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SANDY — Sixty-six years after graduating from Jordan High School, Lawana Peterson returned to cheer on her alma mater once more.
The energetic 84-year-old joined the high school's cheerleading team during their homecoming assembly Friday morning, yelling loud cheers and shaking her pompoms.
"I still like to cheerlead. I've always liked to do that. Of course, I didn't do any splits," she said with a laugh.
Peterson graduated from Jordan High School in 1949, back when there were only three girls and two boys on the cheer squad. She said she loved her years as a cheerleader, so it was fun to relive the memories.
Randi Wilson, a preferences coordinator where Peterson lives at Canyon Creek Assisted Living and Memory Care, said she got the idea to give Peterson a second chance at cheerleading after seeing her doing cheers in the activities room. She contacted the principal at Jordan High School and got a call from the squad's head coach soon after.
The Jordan High alumni practiced with the school's current squad Thursday. The team taught her two cheers and she taught them one, which they performed for students. Peterson said modern cheers are a little different than the ones she used "back in the olden days," but that the experience was a lot of fun.
"I really enjoyed it and I'd like to do it again if I had it to do over again," she said. "There's something about leading the group and getting them to cheer. We tried to see which side would yell the loudest and that worked really good."
After graduating from high school, Peterson went on to become a doctor's assistant. She has five children and more than 20 grandchildren.
Peterson stays active by taking her dog Teddy for walks and participating in activities at Canyon Creek. She said she can't get enough of hot dogs covered in mustard.
