Sarah Zepeda graduated from UTRGV in 2017 with an English degree. She is now a dancer for the NBA team, the Houston Rockets, and credits part of her success to the preparation she received at UTRGV.
Since graduating from college, Zepeda has danced at several dance companies, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and is now a Houston Rockets Power Dancer.
Her love of dancing began when she was 5 years old.
After showing interest and skill in dance, she became more invested and continued to pursue it well into high school.
“I started [dancing] around 5 [years old], it wasn’t anything serious,” Zepeda said. “It wasn’t until my mom saw that I had a knack for it. She put me into a studio and it kind of stayed with me ever since.”
After being in drill team throughout middle and high school, she began working for the American Dance/Drill Team, which provided her with many opportunities.
Zepeda attended UTRGV and enjoyed her time in college. However, she also faced financial and institutional obstacles during this time.
“With UTRGV, it was a roller coaster,” she said. “I was there during the transition from UTPA to UTRGV, but once [they] made that change, the environment changed [as well]. There was a lot more help and then going through with my degree plan, the advisers and professors worked really well with it.”
During college, Zepeda met fellow student Christopher Esparza.
Esparza is now the head theatre arts teacher at Harlingen High school. He graduated from UTRGV with a degree in mass communication.
He met Zepeda his junior year in his public speaking class.
“Sarah was a very professional and goal-oriented person,” Esparza said. “She would come into class already in her dance gear. She would come in, do a great job and then leave. So, I was very intimidated in the beginning. I was, like, ‘Man, this girl has got it going on!’”
Esparza and Zepeda initially bonded in class over their travel experience. They have been friends for three years.
“Throughout our friendship, I think the memory that stands out for me most is that she has been there for me through the toughest of times, even when she was [struggling in her] personal life and when my mom was, and still is, battling cancer,” he said.
He appreciates Zepeda for being a positive influence in his life and for always being supportive.
“She would check on me and the day we found out that my mother was going back, because [the cancer] did come back, she was there for me,” Esparza said. “She supported me and was my shoulder to cry on, and I’ll forever be grateful for that.”
He wishes the best for her in her journey as a Houston Rockets Power Dancer and knows that she will continue to accomplish nothing short of greatness.
“I could not be more proud of her,” Esparza said. “Sarah is one person whose goals have never been to be a big fish in a small pond. She always pushes herself to be the best she could be, regardless of failure [and] of how rough the past may be.
“She really puts all of her efforts into creating a better life for herself, her family and her friends. And she is so humble about it at the same time, which I love about her.”
According to Zepeda, college helped her prepare for future endeavors, including joining the Houston Rockets Power Dancers.
“For me, it was a really great experience and it really helped shape me into the adult I am now so I can achieve what I needed to out here in Houston,” she said.
The Houston Rockets Power Dancers is a cheerleading group that performs, promotes and models alongside the Houston Rockets NBA team.
In order to become a Houston Rockets Power Dancer, Zepeda had to engage in a weeklong process that required her to study as well as dance.
The process begins with an audition that varies from year to year.
“We learned a hip-hop routine for round one,” she said. “There were hundreds of girls there. We learned the routine, go out in our groups, performed them and [would possibly] make callbacks for second round.”
Zepeda made it to the second round, which was similar to the first, but surprisingly got called in for a supplemental interview before making it to the finals.
“They had actually called me back for a quick interview and, usually, interviews don’t happen until you make it to finals,” she said. “They just asked me, being from the Valley, how I will balance the transition and they wanted to make sure I was mentally ready if I were to go on to the finals, would I be able to handle all that change.”
After the dance auditions, she had to participate in the interview portion of the process, which tested the aspiring dancers on Rockets history.
Her responsibilities as an RPD member include maintaining physical health and beauty and representing the Rockets brand as a whole.
“We definitely have to make sure we look physically attractive,” Zepeda said. “We don’t have to wear makeup, just look presentable.
“With our [bodies], we don’t have a diet plan, we don’t have weight restrictions or anything like that. That’s something I really love about the organization—that they just want you to be healthy.”
As of press time, the Rockets are 27-20 overall in the Western Conference.
Zepeda attends practice three times a week to prepare for March Madness.
“Right now, we’re getting ready for March Madness,” she said. “After that, we’ll, hopefully, make it to the playoffs because if we make it to the championship, we get rings, so that would be really cool to get that on my first year on the team.”
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