The athletics department has recently welcomed Michelle Searer as the new cheer coach.

Searer has been a cheer coach for over twenty years. For twelve of those years, she coached college cheer teams. Some of her credentials include the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators, Cheerleading Safety Coaches Certification and National Federation of State High School Association’s Coaches Education Program.

Rick Costello, athletic director, believes that Searer will be able to prepare a lot of creative routines for the cheer team due to her numerous years of experience.

“She has tons of personality, energy and enthusiasm,” Costello said. “We are excited to see her grow the program and continue to create all kinds of positive energy, spirit and pride at the events.”

Searer plans to split the team into two separate teams. One team will compete at cheer competitions, and the other team will cheer at games.

“As far as the goals of the team, I think it is really important, particularly with Purdue Northwest entering NCAA Division II, to raise the bar on what the spirit program can do for the school. That includes the dance team and the cheerleaders working together and incorporating the mascot, which will make game day just an awesome fan experience,” Searer said.

Some of Searer’s hobbies include hiking, camping, water skiing and snow skiing. She also loves to travel and partake in genealogy.

“She is a really good coach to teach them the techniques, so I think we are going to see a really awesome cheer group,” Costello said.