Fairland's Talitha Howard – Northeast Tech Athlete of the Month

By Derrick Smith

When an athlete decides to become involved with a sport, it is usually because of an influence from someone they look up to or an impact that a specific moment had on their life. That is true for Talitha Howard, who decided to get into cheerleading after attending her brother’s games.

“I remember going to one of my older brother’s football games when I was just a little girl,” she said. “I saw the cheerleaders and their happy, welcoming faces. They kept the game interesting and inspired me. After I saw how they hyped the crowd and persuaded them to cheer on their team, I knew I wanted to be a part of that.”

Howard, who is a junior at Fairland High School, has participated in cheerleading since she was in Pre-K. She says that her favorite part of being a cheerleader is making an impact, no matter what is happening on the field.

“I enjoy making other people smile and making games a good experience for them, even if the game isn’t going well for our team. I love keeping a positive vibe and helping our fans cheer on the players.”

Anita Ramirez, Talitha’s mother, has been a big role model in her life.

“She is always thinking about the well being of everybody else, she puts other people’s needs before her own,” she said. “She is an LPN and she is always going out of her way to make sure that each and every one of her patients has what they need. She even goes the extra mile and finds out what their favorite snack or animal is and brings them something every time she sees them. She is sweet and caring and has always been there for me. I know I can always count on her if I need anything. She is great emotional support and she makes sure I always have what I need.”

Along with being a student at Fairland, Howard is also taking classes at Northeast Tech in Afton. She is in Health Careers, specifically the Veterinary Assistant class.

“Ever since I could walk I have loved animals,” Talitha stated. “About a year and three months ago, I lost my beloved Angel, an eight month old Australian Shepherd and Black Mouth Cur mixed puppy. She got hit by a truck and there was nothing I could do to help her. I had always knew I wanted to do something that involved animals, but losing my Angel made me want to be a veterinarian.”

Talitha heard about Northeast Tech from a friend of hers that was attending the welding program.

“He told me that it was an amazing opportunity and I should attend. I went to my school counselor and found out what I needed to do to get into the program.”

At Northeast Tech, Howard is not just taking classes. She is the Reporter for the National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) and the Historian of the Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA) group. At Fairland, she is involved with FFA.

After she graduates high school, Talitha plans on attending college and work to obtain a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. She then plans to continue in college and specialize in equine.

If someone unsure about attending Northeast Tech, Talitha says they should go for it.

“There are so many amazing opportunities to be involved in at Tech,” she said. “The positive environment and amazing staff are something I’ll never forget. You not only get a good sight into your career path, but you also can be a huge part of many great organizations. Some programs actually allow you to have a career without even going to college.”

Content special to web.