By Kloe Adams and

Experiencing newfound freedom as a high school freshman, Alexa Cross is thriving at LGHS. From softball and surfing to dance and school, Cross is an inspiration to all.

Cross began her high school career strong, trying out for and making the LGHS dance team. After dancing for 12 years, Cross was ecstatic about the opportunity to pursue dance as a high school sport. Alongside five other freshmen, Cross noted, “It was really cool getting to meet other people who do the same sport as me. They are all super nice and funny so it’s always fun to be there.” Her favorite football game that she danced at this fall was the blackout game, as it was both her birthday and the first football game she performed at. Recently, the team performed at Santa Clara University’s boys’ basketball game. 

 Outside of school dance, Cross competes with a competitive dance team at The Dance Company of Los Gatos. When she is not busy competing, Cross extends her dance skills to groups of younger students. While she specializes in hip-hop, Cross also teaches styles such as lyrical and contemporary dance. Out of all the styles she knows, her favorite is open, which consists of a wide variety of genres mixed together. Although Cross has three more years of high school dance ahead of her, she would enjoy the opportunity to further her dancing career in college. She recognizes that “in that community it is hard to make it, so it’s something [I’ll] have to work towards.” 

After finishing dance rehearsal for her competitive team or LGHS, Cross continues her day at softball practice. Playing softball all her life, Cross commented: “I didn’t really know what softball was when I was younger. I got involved because of my sister and never stopped.” After a long week of tryouts in gloomy weather, Cross secured her spot on junior varsity as the pitcher. Despite tackling two sports in the same season, Cross is ready, saying, “I love both dance and softball even though it’s tiring. It’s worth trying to find the balance.” 

Despite the difficult jump from Fisher Middle School to LGHS, Cross loves the freedom high school brings. She added, “I like that I get to meet a lot of new people from other schools.” Her favorite class this year is Spanish 2 with Señora Danielle Stinson.

While not at school or sports, Cross makes the most of her freedom by spending time with friends and family, including her Labradoodles Luna and Coco, and surfing at the beach. Cross’s love for surfing developed on a trip to Hawaii. She said, “I didn’t really like it [at first], but I’ve grown to love it.” Her passion for surfing fuels her desire to go to college near the beach, so she can be closer to the water. 

From softball to dance, Cross explores her passions with dedication and commitment. Make sure to say hi to this freshman if you see her around school!