To most students and faculty, Jeanette would seem to be the average woman. She comes to work here at Sacramento State five days a week, maintaining academic records and files for undergraduate students. What most do not know, however, is that three times a week, Jeanette, who preferred not to use her last name because of safety and Raiderette policy, commutes to the Bay Area for dance practice because for the last 10 years she has been dancing as an Oakland Raiderette.

Jeanette is a Sacramento native and graduate of San Juan High School who has been dancing since she was a little girl. She is currently pursuing her B.A. degree in criminal justice and is unmarried with no children. She decided to try out for the Raiderettes as an attempt to experience being around other skilled dancers like her. “I just wanted to see the parade,” Jeanette said. Only standing 5-foot-1, Jeanette is a reasonably petite package, so seeing the taller dancers was a spectacle during auditions.

Entering into her 10th year as a Raiderette, Jeanette has paved a way for herself, earning veteran status on the team and representing them at the Pro Bowl while being honored with the 2003 Raiderette of the Year Award.This season the Raiderettes have 39 women on the team who come from all regions of the Bay Area. They perform during intermissions and pre-game shows, during timeouts and breaks, and at several public appearances. Jeanette said all 39 girls get along just fine. There are times when outside sources try to cause disagreements within the group but they are always unsuccessful in their attempts to turn the girls against each other. “It’s almost like a sorority. The only difference is your family is already picked for you,” Jeanette said. Also, each veteran dancer is assigned a “rookie,” someone new to the team, to take under her wing. This way, the rookie dancers feel like they are a part of the “family.”

Oakland Raiderettes are required to do 10 charitable events per season. Jeanette makes time to visit and talk with high school cheering squads, along with participating in raising money for breast cancer and cystic fibrosis. She makes many public appearances to meet and greet with Raiders fans and sign autographs and calendars with her fellow team members.

In her spare time, Jeanette works with the youth in a cheerleading and life skills camp for teens, which was founded in 2003. This camp is free and is held in cities such as Las Vegas and New York. Jeanette works as the director of the cheer camp sponsored by the youth Life Line Foundation where teens are taught about health, nutrition, computer literacy, financial planning, and goal setting.

The best thing about being an Oakland Raiderette is “dancing in front of a big crowd and pretending that they’re all shouting for me-. It’s a big ego booster,” Jeanette explained. The worst thing about being a dancer, she said, is getting injured. It’s difficult dancing when you are in pain. Jeanette has had knee surgery in the past, but continued to dance through anguish. “Dancing is a celebration of life,” and her love for dancing shows throughout her dancing career, she said.

But commuting back and forth from Sacramento to the Bay Area is a commitment, Jeanette said, so this season will probably be her last season. She will always be an Oakland Raiders fan and plans on staying involved in many of the charities she has supported over the years and will continue to work in Sac State’s admissions and records department.

Lisa Warren can be reached at [email protected]