Chaney Shertenlieb has performed as a cheerleader in front of 20,000 sports fans, but if she can make a difference in just one person’s life, then she’d say she’s achieving her dream. The 18-year-old Cambridge resident and soon-to-be graduate of Cambridge-Dorchester South High School aspires to study psychology and pursue a career as a physician assistant in psychiatry to help “individuals that have been bullied, verbally abused, physically abused, or even worse,” she says. “Many of these individuals would benefit from having someone to talk to, someone to listen. Mental health does not discriminate. I want to be a positive role model, I want to be someone who can offer help to others.”
Throughout her four years at Cambridge-South Dorchester, Shertenlieb has developed into a well-rounded student-athlete. Her work ethic has parlayed into steady improvement each year on the high school swim and cheerleading teams, the latter for which she was named Most Improved her sophomore year and captain her senior year. In the classroom, her cumulative grade point average of 3.23 and extracurricular activities, including chorus and drama, have earned her acceptances to McDaniel College and Stevenson University (she’ll have to choose soon!). Her peers also nominated Shertenlieb to the homecoming court (she was First Runner Up Homecoming Queen) this school year for her leadership and dedication to the cheer team during football season.
Whether cheering in front of hundreds under the Friday night lights or thousands at a Washington Wizards game (a special experience for the cheer team), Shertenlieb says performing has allowed her to come out of her shell. “I learned leadership skills and how important physical activity is for the body and mind,” she explains. “I enjoyed being as loud as I wanted and I could smile the entire time, not to mention the feeling of butterflies twirling in my stomach. It’s not fear, it’s sheer excitement.”
That nervous enthusiasm is trademark Shertenlieb. Swim Coach Pete Pietras confirms that he often helps her channel that excitement toward results in the pool. “She can be nervous of how she is going to do,” he says. “Sometimes she just needs that little push or incentive to kind of get her going. I’m standing at the block with her. I give her a little pep talk. And then she hops in the water and does great.” Pietras confirms that, indeed, Shertenlieb improved her swim times this past season and ranked sixth best among 23 swimmers on the team.
“Her fastest 200 IM [200-meter individual medley] time was 303.3 [seconds],” Pietras explains. “She started the season in the ballpark of probably 318 or 315. So, she’s worked hard on dropping that time down.”
Performing well under pressure is a strong attribute of Shertenlieb’s. Since the age of three, she has sung chorus. Beginning at Lollipop Lane Preschool, Shertenlieb continued her choral training and performances—including several solo acts—through elementary, middle, and, now, high school. She even performed a solo for Coastal Hospice, singing “Amazing Grace” at a bereavement ceremony. Her singing lends well to her thespian pursuits, particularly in drama camp at Cambridge-South Dorchester. And many of Shertenlieb’s summers have been spent in drama camps, including Summer at Avalon Theatre in Easton. This fall, she plans to join choir in college and eventually add a minor in music when she declares her degree.
Shertenlieb credits her parents, Wendy and Bill, for inspiring her to develop into the well-rounded student-athlete she is today. Both are registered nurses and, according to Shertenlieb, are greatly appreciated in their community. “It seems that no matter where we venture in the community, someone is approaching one or the other of my parents and thanking them for their care,” Shertenlieb says. “It made me realize that being kind and compassionate, and loving everyone, goes a long way. I want to be a caregiver just like them someday.”
Shertenlieb is also very appreciative of her cheer coach and teacher Ramona Kenny. “She has been my role model for my years at high school, teaching me that kindness, beauty, and intelligence are important,” she says. “And that if I remain determined and focused, anything is possible in life.”
For Shertenlieb, it certainly appears that she’s well on her way to achieving her dreams. Her outgoing personality and strong desire to achieve at the collegiate level should serve her well, as she aspires to help others.
