Born in a giant explosion of cheeriness and smiles, Jillian Blum came into the world. While she has grown since then, one thing has not changed; she has yet to wipe a smile off of her face. Blum spends her time on social media and at cheer practice (where she is a three time state champion). She enjoys the movie Stuck In Love and often speaks in Spanglish (a combination of English and Spanish). Her favorite phrases to say are “Ja Ja Ja” (pronounced without the silent J unlike in actual Spanish) and “uno mas.”

As a senior at Ames High, when Blum reflects on her high school experiences- she has fond memories. These include traveling to Europe and having adventures from Italy to France. Blum’s other memories include winning State Cheerleading for three consecutive years and taking interesting classes that stimulated her mind.

Blum’s favorite small luxuries include going to coffee shops with her closest friends and bonding over iced caramel lattes. She enjoys drawing, reading and going for long drives.Blum is also immensely fond of her nephew Ethan, who lives in Colorado. She often likes to show pictures of him to others. She one day hopes to live in Colorado some day in her future due to its beautiful, mountainous scenery.

At a staggering height of 5’2, Blum does not allow her height to stop her in cheerleading. She continues to make improvements and is a strong side base (the person who lifts other people).

As for her future, Blum aspires to be an engineer. This field is infamous for its lack of gender equality and Blum hopes to rise above stereotypes and succeed in this field. With Blum’s zeal for life and enthusiasm, she just might.