Oswego East Student Athlete of the Week-Aleigh McDermott

"Hope," provides strength to individuals during times of adversity. For the Oswego East dance team, the theme of this year's routine centers around how hope can help us overcome various obstacles. For senior captain Aleigh McDermott, and her freshman sister Caitlin, dance has provided a sense of normalcy and hope in the face of personal adversity, which is why she is this week's Oswego East student-athlete of the week.

Aleigh began dancing when she was 2 years old, falling in love with the sport and learning to dance routines through her studio in Naperville. During junior high, Aleigh continued training and taking classes with the hopes of competing at the high school level.

It was during Aleigh's freshman year she and her family received the life-altering news that their mother, Jenna McDermott, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. In the three years since the diagnosis, Jenna, and the family have endured multiple recurrences, feeling as though they were starting over with each round of treatment.

"Having a parent diagnosed with cancer isn't something most teenagers know how to speak about or handle with their peers," says Jenna. She goes on, saying, "I believe Aleigh just continued to persevere in her academics, using the consistency of classes, projects, and homework, to balance the uncertainty of the surgery and chemotherapy treatments."

Aleigh credits dance as an opportunity for her and her sister to add normalcy to their everyday life during the past three years. Head dance coach, Alex Raber, has witnessed Aleigh mature from a quiet freshman into one of two senior captains, despite dealing with family hardship, and is amazed by how strong and determined an individual she has become in the face of her mother’s diagnosis.

"Aleigh is resilient in all aspects of life," says Alex. She goes on to add, "I have coached and known her now for almost 4 years and never once heard her complain. When I first met her, she was incredibly soft-spoken and would turn bright red when she had to speak in front of the team. Her junior year I saw her blossom by speaking up and sharing all of her brilliant ideas with the team."

In Aleigh's words, "dance provides me a creative outlet to express my feelings and tell a story through art." Jenna, and Aleigh's father, Dr. Tim McDermott, echo those sentiments, saying, "Aleigh's always approached dancing as a storyteller." They continue by adding, "Being empathetic, connecting emotion, music, and movement are some of the reasons we enjoy watching her perform."

After falling just short of qualifying for the IHSA state championships the past two seasons, the Wolves' remain optimistic their hopeful routine, in conjunction with the growing reputation of the program the past few seasons, will sway the opinion of the judges.

The team will lean on one another to reach their goal of a state qualifying bid that has so barely escaped them. The lessons taught to the team by missing their goal is something Raber sees as a positive, saying, "If anything, we have gained more by having missed the state tournament by such a small margin the past two seasons. In such a crucial time of a teenager's life, putting yourself out there to have your passion judged is winning in itself."

Without spoiling the routine for those who will see the Wolves' compete for the first time this Sunday in Mundelein, Aleigh and her sister Caitlin have a critical role at the apex of the hopeful routine, a routine Raber believes sends a powerful message.

"Every dancer can relate to our song and routine in some way and has an individual part," says Raber. She adds, "With Aleigh, her family, and younger sister, Caitlin, hope is something they have had to hold onto the strongest. In the routine, there is a part where Aleigh is holding onto Caitlin, while Caitlin is reaching out for help. It is so simple, yet so powerful." The experience of dancing together is something Jenna believes has helped strengthen their bond, saying, "They continue to have a strong bond and a shared love of dance. While they both enjoy dance, they have very different ways of performing and distinct preferences in dance style."

The ability to express herself creatively extends beyond the dance floor for Aleigh. As one of the Oswego East’s strongest art students, Aleigh has her sights set on attending the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and majoring in Visual Arts and Graphic Design.

Having a creative and imaginative mind is something Jenna, and Dr. McDermott, noticed from Aleigh at a young age, saying, "We had cabinets in our house full of crayons, paint, paper, stickers, markers, playdough, glue, colored pencils, and glitter she had total access to." They go on to add, "Like dance and performance, I think art is another creative outlet for her. She was pretty excited to learn about all the art and design course offerings at OE, and in order to make room in her schedule to learn both art and design, Aleigh took several online courses during the summer and after school to open up her daily schedule to take AP drawing as a junior and AP design as a senior."

Lisa Cook, who has taught Aleigh in multiple classes, says, "Aleigh is an amazing human being who impresses me every day with her talent, determination, and effort." She goes on to add, "Aleigh has absolutely become a star in our visual arts and graphics departments. Her work is constantly on display, in contests, and used to promote programs both within the school and on a larger scale. I know she will continue to create beautiful work as she moves into college and her career as a designer."

Although the McDermott family continues to face adversity and obstacles every day, Aleigh and her sister Caitlin remain hopeful they will persevere and will continue using dance as an outlet for not only creative expression but as a means of drawing strength. As someone who has excelled in athletics and academics, despite dealing with hardship, Aleigh advises future Wolves to, "Make as many connections with teachers and students as you can, and do not be afraid to dip your toes to try something new." The OE community sends our best wishes to the McDermott's as they continue their fight against cancer, as well as to the dance team as they remain hopeful in achieving their goal of qualifying for the state tournament that has so narrowly alluded them the past two seasons.