Colts Cheer has given Sammy a platform to grow, learn about herself, and form some special relationships along the way.
"We always talk about being so much more than cheerleaders and putting ourselves out there in the community," she said. "It allows us to take a step back and realize why we're here again. Because with me being on the team for four years, I think sometimes you can lose sight of what your vision is and what your goal is being a cheerleader and having this platform."
This year, she was challenged to take that platform to new heights – by finding a cause to support and coming up with a way to do it.
For Sammy, it started with one special relationship.
"Mickey Joy, I met her five years ago. I actually met her through Miss Indiana, but then I got to know her more because she was a junior cheerleader. I got to know her story, I found out she was a Riley kid and her and I have always had this really special bond."
She wanted to honor Mickey by giving back to the place that made it possible for her to follow her dreams.
"Riley was just very near and dear to my heart because they helped Mickey so much growing up. So I knew I wanted to do something with Riley and I love photography, so I decided to combine those two passions together."
Some of Sammy's favorite appearances have been at Riley Hospital for Children – bringing joy to kids and their families at a time when they need it the most.
"I was there for Valentine's Day, Christmas, Halloween. It was just so much fun spending all of those different holidays with the kids," she said. "There's nothing normal about being in a hospital. There's nothing normal about that setting for a child. It was so cool to be able to bring a little life and light into that experience for them."
One of the ways she did that was by dressing up as a Disney princess on Valentine's Day. Little did she know becoming a princess herself would inspire another way for her to give back – by taking a step back, transforming the patients into the stars, and watching them shine.
"My goal is to be able to go into Riley and set up a photo shoot for the kids – they can dress up as Disney princesses or as superheroes. I can do hair and makeup for the girls and just create a really special memory for them and be able to give them a photo to remember it by."
Because sometimes, you don't know the value of a memory until it's over – and a photo brings it all back.
"I still look back on pictures from when I was little and I'm like, 'Oh, I don't remember everything about this day, but I remember how I felt.' I really want to be able to give that to the children at Riley."
Seeing the causes her cheer sisters support is helping Sammy and her teammates to bond even more, as they raise the bar on themselves and each other.
"When we're together, we don't always have time to talk about the things that are really on our hearts and causes that are near and dear to us," she said.
Which just makes her more excited about what they're doing now.
"We have such a platform and I don't think we have always used it to our fullest capability. So I think we're heading in the right direction – where we're going, what we want to do, and who we want to become."
