The word "cheerleader" brings to mind the image of a girl in a small skirt and top, waving her pom-poms with a made-up face and perpetual smile. The kind of girl who would wink at you while jumping up and down at high school football games and pep rallies.
But here in San Diego, the word "cheerleader" is synonymous with "professional" for San Diego Charger Girl Marlina Moreno, an advertising senior at San Diego State.
Moreno is one of 28 Charger Girls - three others go to SDSU - who works year-round perfecting her dance routine, her body and her classy Charger Girl image, along with the other girls.
"Our game-day uniforms aren't much, but we always project a classy image," Moreno said. "I never tell people I'm a dancer because they'll automatically assume I'm a stripper.
"We are very professional. We don't fraternize with the football players - there are actually laws written against it."
Moreno said the Charger Girls do a lot of promotional work, for paid and unpaid positions.
Moreno works as a cheerleading coach at an after-school program for young girls in San Diego.
On top of that job, Moreno was recently hired as a cocktail waitress at Margarita Rocks in Pacific Beach and also works as a personal assistant for land developer David Santistevan.
Furthermore, she has a full class load. But she's on track and will graduate on time in May after four years and has maintained an above-average grade-point average.
Her schedule appears overwhelming, and even with a $75 per-game salary as a Charger Girl, she has to do everything she can to make rent in the one-bedroom apartment she shares with her sister.
The women only perform at home games; there are 10 this season. They will only travel with the team if the Chargers make it into the playoffs or the Super Bowl - which Moreno said she's sure will happen "Which we will!" Moreno said, who is a San Diego native.
"I'm doing (Charger Girls) for the experience, for the girls I've made friends with, involvement in the community and because I love football and I love to dance," Moreno said. "There are promotions and commercial work that come our way.
"I get paid for some, others I volunteer for; I don't really care. But I'm going to be shooting a Samsung commercial this week that pays me and the other four Charger Girls doing it royalties."
Moreno's teammates have done commercial work such as this before and, through royalties, have made five-figure paychecks.
"I hope I get that much," Moreno said. "I would save it all up and study in Spain for a year after I graduate."
Moreno is of Mexican heritage and wants to learn to speak Spanish fluently while in Spain. After her trip, she plans to try out again for the Charger Girls and pursue a career in advertising.
"There are 28 amazing women on the team from age 18 to 29," she said. "Some are married and will start families soon. It's a very diverse group and something I'm very proud to be a part of."
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