She's got spirit: Katherine Rollins is the first from Missouri to join Saintsations cheer team

Katherine Rollins has been dancing, competitively and recreationally, since she was 3 years old.

Rollins, now 23, said she began taking classes at such a young age to follow in her older sister's footsteps.

"Ever since then I stuck with it," she said.

Originally from Cape Girardeau, Rollins was a cheerleader in junior high and a Tiger dancer while attending Cape Girardeau Central High School. After graduating in 2011, she pursued her college education at the University of Mississippi, or Ole Miss, in Oxford, Mississippi, from which she graduated in May with a degree in hospitality management.

Although she chose not to dance competitively on the collegiate level at Ole Miss, she still participated in a student-run dance group and in dance activities with her sorority, not wanting to lose her connection with the art.

Katherine Rollins, a member of the Saintsations cheer team, poses for a photo June 14.Glenn Landberg

"I can't even explain it; [dancing] just makes me happy," she said.

After graduating from Ole Miss, Rollins decided to continue dancing and pursue a personal dream. She tried out to be a New Orleans Saints cheerleader, or Saintsation, and in April became the first person from Missouri to be named to the team.

"I didn't feel like I was done, so I decided to go ahead and do Saintsations because it's been something I've always wanted, to do an NFL team, and then Saintsations just seemed like the best to me, so I just chose it and I went for it," she said.

The rigorous tryout process included several choreographed routines and tested the women's showmanship and ability to perform under pressure. Rollins also had to complete a pageant-type interview process and a test on the American and National football conferences.

"Not only were we dancing, we were studying the football teams, which I think is really good because they want to make sure that you know what you're cheering for," she said.

The process was spread out over several days, with a series of cuts after each round.

"Every time my name was posted, I can't even describe the feeling; it was like relief, but then I was on edge again because I knew I had to go do it again," she said.

Once Rollins saw she had been chosen during the team's live feed announcement, and the congratulations from family began coming in, she could relax.

"That was definitely intense, but it all paid off, and it was an amazing feeling to know that I was done at that moment with that process," she said. "Â… It hasn't really set in completely yet. It feels great when I put the uniform on and everything, but I think it will be real when I walk into the dome."

Rollins said she grew up watching the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders, but tried out for the Saintsations because the organization encourages its members to pursue dreams outside of being a team member.

"They encourage us to have other dreams other than just dance," she said. "I think that's cool because we can still have a life."

Alongside her part-time position as a Saintsation, Rollins said she hopes to find another job suited to her degree in hospitality management, and eventually she would like to work in hospital event planning.

During the Saints' regular season, the Saintsations will perform at the team's 10 home games. Along with dancing, Rollins said she is looking forward to being part of the team community and having teammates to support her.

"Other than just getting to perform and continue performing, I'm looking forward to having friendships and the sisterhood, because being so far away, I won't know anyone in Louisiana, so it's really comforting to know that I have this little family that I'm going to," she said.

Having had solid support groups throughout her life, Rollins said making the choice to join the team has come with some trepidation, but she's also looking forward to starting this new chapter.

"When I made the team, I was like, 'Oh, my goodness, what did I get myself into?' because I really don't know anyone other than this team," she said. "I think that's going to be a really good thing for me."

Leaving behind her family in Cape Girardeau and her friends in Oxford may sound daunting, but it's a challenge Rollins said she is excited to pursue.

"I have two sisters that I'm very close to, my mom, my family's very close to my heart and then I always had a team of some kind that I've been around," she said. "So this is a good transition for me because I always had dance here and sorority life in Mississippi and now I'm going back to dance. So I'm looking forward to the friendships and everything."

Rollins said she appreciates the team for its diversity, with members ranging from a 42-year-old mom to members from Europe and throughout the U.S.

"We're definitely a melting pot, and I liked that, I like the diversity that everyone brings something new and everyone's so different," she said.

Along with diversity comes a sense of community, something Rollins said she has found reassuring throughout her life.

"I think I chose New Orleans because Â… Ole Miss is really spirited and it's kind of got its own thing going -- and I think that New Orleans is nothing like Ole Miss, but it's got its own little spirit and culture, and I like that. I think it's really neat and comforting," she said.

And, in looking toward the future, Rollins said she is excited to start this journey and work toward opening new doors in her career and life.

"It's kind of a blur, it's a gold blur," she said with a laugh.