Tis the season of the fresh and emotional wind of nostalgia within the air of senior year. The emotional roller coaster from start to finish has started for this Bulldog, Soren Sloan.

Soren is a Starlette dancer and officer for Summer Creek, having been on the team for all four years of her high school life. The realization that she will soon leave this team where she has made a home and community has hit her hard. The cheers from the crowd sound different this year, they now feel like memories more than ever before.

Soren has had a great motivation for dance since she has a child.

“I was inspired to do dance when I was four years old and trying every sport in the book but I didn’t really like any of them,” she said. “When my mom put me in dance class I fell in love with it since I have been doing it ever since. My motivation comes from my parents who have always supported me and pushed me even when I was down.”

With the inspiration and motivation she has for this sport has pushed her to keep going and to stay strong throughout the rough times. Soren revealed that she has battled an injury throughout her dance journey.

“My freshmen year I tore my MCL and I couldn’t dance during football season,” she said. “But I learned to push myself when I got back and could dance, when I’m down I remember how far I have come and I keep pushing myself.”

Looking back, the countless hours of hard work seem less like a grind and more like a collection of beautiful, shared moments.

“My most memorable moment dancing has to be when we went to state sophomore year and we got to dance at the AT&T Stadium,” she said. 

With a wisdom that comes from navigating four seasons, Soren offers younger dancers a simple but powerful truth. She advises them to trust in God’s plan, even when the path is unclear or an injury threatens to derail their dreams.

“I would says to never give up and always trust God’s plan,” Soren said. “God could be opening a door to something else so always trust him.”

To end off her high school journey she plans to attend college to pursue sports management.

“After I graduate I plan to attend Spelman College and study English,” she said. “I don’t plan to dance, but I want to work in sports management.”

Ending off Soren’s senior year has been emotional, but her family, friends, classmates, and even strangers know she will strive in her future.