Honor Student Gives UC Merced a New 'Cat to Cheer About

This is part of a series of profiles of new UC Merced Bobcats enrolled for the fall 2024 semester.

Jenna Hinds, a Central Valley native, is bringing spirit to UC Merced. Hinds discovered a passion for cheerleading as a senior in high school. After participating in UC Merced tryouts, will join the university cheer team’s elite squad this fall.

Where I come from: I’m from Stevinson and I graduated from Turlock Christian High School.

What I've done: I was on the honor roll and played five sports: basketball, soccer, swimming, cross country and cheer. We won a championship in swimming and I received an athletic scholarship for cheer. I also started fostering animals a few years ago (mainly dogs and cats), which has been super rewarding.

Why are you excited about coming to UC Merced? I’m ready for a new environment and I’m already loving the community. Cheer tryouts were in April, so I’ve been bonding with my teammates and connecting with others already on campus. Once the semester begins, I plan to find and join a faith-based club.

Academic and personal goals: I plan to major in psychology and eventually go into special education. I’ve done some research into the UC Merced Teacher Preparation Program, so it is possible I will end up staying at UC Merced for a postgraduate credential.

You can keep only three apps on your phone. What are they? Amazon (for shopping, of course), Instagram (to stay in touch with friends and family), and the camera (to take photos of my cats and dogs).

You can teleport anywhere in the world for a three-day weekend. Where do you go? Six Flags Magic Mountain. Three days of rollercoasters sounds awesome.

It's karaoke night. What's your go-to song? "Anything" by Lady Gaga!

Quotable: "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22