Wanda Billingslea Farrell says she first fell in love with NC State when her high school math club took a field trip from Fayetteville to Raleigh during her junior year. Her Algebra II teacher was an NC State graduate, and Farrell says she inspired her to pursue her studies at NC State. That high school math club visit sparked her remarkable journey to NC State as one of the University’s first Black cheerleaders.
Farrell said she began her freshman year in 1976 as a medical technology major at NC State, later changing her major to business management. She was eager to get involved on campus and noticed the cheerleading team was holding spring tryouts. Farrell cheered in high school for three years and enjoyed the experience so much she decided to pursue the sport in college and tried out for the team.
Farrell landed a spot on the NC State cheerleading team her sophomore year becoming one of the first Black cheerleaders at NC State. Overwhelmed with happiness, she made the team along with two others.
“I was not the first, but I was the first announced,” Farrell said. “There were actually three of us that made the squad the first year.”
Attending NC State and joining the University’s athletic department was a dream come true for Farrell and a notable personal achievement.
Farrell said she learned more about sports during her time as a cheerleader on the sidelines, especially at football games. She said she embraced being a part of the team, and that passion helped her build a legacy for others to follow.
“I felt like, compared to my cheerleading background and how we cheered in high school, I felt like that was big time to be able to cheer at a major university,” Farrell said. “I felt like I had accomplished something major for me.”
Farrell cheered for the Pack on the sidelines and participated and performed in numerous athletic events on campus, representing NC State. As a cheer team member, she had the opportunity to travel to bowl games. During her first year on the team, Farrell traveled to Atlanta for the Peach Bowl. During her second year on the team she traveled to the Tangerine Bowl in Orlando, Florida, which was her first time getting the chance to go to Disney World.
Farrell said she loves coming back to alumni reunions where she can visit with current and former members of the cheerleading team and engage with her alma mater. She is also a member of the Former North Carolina State University Cheerleaders private Facebook page, which helps her stay up to date with events hosted at NC State.
“I enjoy going back for the reunions,” Farrell said. “For the most part for me, it was a great experience for me in my life.”
For her accomplishments at NC State, Farrell said she has drawn inspiration from her own surroundings and heartfelt experiences. In addition to being a cheerleader, she was also invited her senior year to join DanceVisions, an African American dance club at NC State.
Farrell’s accomplishments extend past cheer to include her triumphant fight with cancer, which provides hope and encouragement to others who struggle with health challenges. Farrell is currently a stage 4 cancer patient with a rare form of cancer called leiomyosarcoma; however, this cancer has not stopped Farrell from fighting, and her health is stable.
She said she shares her journey to encourage and bring hope to others.
“The mental part is a big part of the battle,” Farrell said. “I try to live each day like I’m not a cancer patient.”
Farrell has clearly made a lasting impact and built a legacy at NC State, and all who meet her will find her journey truly uplifting. Wanda Billingslea Farrell is a remarkable and courageous woman. She continues to live each and every day to the fullest, abiding by Jim Valvano’s famous words, “Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.”
