In a journey defined by more than a decade of "nos" and a staggering 23 separate auditions, Vonai M.—a local standout from Sharon, Massachusetts—has finally reached the pinnacle of her craft. As the New England Patriots prepare to take on the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium, the second-year veteran cheerleader is not just representing the sidelines; she is representing a community, a culture, and a level of resilience that mirrors the team’s own historic turnaround.

The road to Santa Clara, California, was not paved with immediate success. It was built through a relentless pursuit of a dream that many would have abandoned years ago. Her journey to becoming a professional cheerleader in the NFL spanned ten years and included a move to Georgia and back. It was her 23rd audition overall that finally saw her secure a spot on her hometown team, proving that the path to a dream is rarely a straight line.

"Excited is not even the word," she said in an exclusive interview with BET.com. "The biggest thing I think I've been feeling recently is just this overwhelming gratitude for just everything that led up to this moment and the fact that we're actually here. We're really going."

Growing up just down the street from Foxborough, she looked to the sidelines of Gillette Stadium for inspiration. However, as a young Black girl in a predominantly white sport, finding a reflection of herself was a challenge. The lack of representation could have easily deterred her, but instead, it fueled a quiet fire that eventually filled that gap for someone else.

"I saw very few," she recalled of the Black women on the squad during her childhood. "I would see trickles of them along the way, and I am forever grateful to those women for showing me what I could be, what I could accomplish, and the fact that I could be in this space."

Her athletic background was rooted in gymnastics, where she reached the elite Level 9 status within the USA Gymnastics program. It wasn't until she arrived at the University of Maryland that the shift toward cheerleading occurred. Realizing she might not break into the Division I gymnastics roster, she pivoted, walking onto the Maryland cheer team. It was there that the spark for professional cheer was ignited by teammates who eventually went on to cheer for the Baltimore Ravens.

However, the transition from college to the pros was anything but easy. The grueling nature of the audition process is often invisible to the fans in the stands. It involves months of preparation, intense choreography, fitness tests, and high-pressure interviews. For the Sharon native, this cycle became a decade-long reality. After initial tries with the Patriots in 2014 and 2015, she moved to Atlanta, trying out for various local teams while losing sight of her original goal.

"I reached a point where I was essentially throwing myself in every direction," she admitted. "I think along the way, I lost a little bit of the sight that I had of what I actually wanted to do. It kind of transitioned from 'I want to be a Patriots cheerleader' to just feeling this sense of urgency to be taken as an NFL cheerleader, right? Questioning what team was for me and where I was going to belong."

It was a conversation with her sister that finally brought her home. After taking time off to focus on her education, she returned to the Patriots' audition process in 2023. She made it further than ever before, only to face her most devastating cut. "It was the biggest heartbreak of my audition journey because I think it was the closest I had been and it felt most like what I wanted," she said.

Coming back in 2024 required a level of mental fortitude that few possess. She had to decide whether to walk away or give it one more shot. She chose the latter, focusing solely on the Patriots. That singular focus paid off. The confidence she gained through those years of rejection became her greatest asset.

Today, she is that trickle turned into a flood of inspiration. Whether she is leading prep classes for hopeful candidates or performing in front of millions at the Super Bowl, she is acutely aware of the weight her presence carries for the next generation of Black girls who are watching from the stands or their living rooms.

"I know that I feel like I'm just showing up as myself, but I know that in doing that, I'm representing a whole community without even being asked to," she said. "I think that we truly do deserve to be on every single stage in this world. It’s an honor to be on the big one."

That authenticity extends to her physical appearance, an area where many Black women in professional spaces—from television to sports—have historically felt pressured to conform. The "look" of an NFL cheerleader has traditionally leaned toward a very specific aesthetic, but the veteran is proud to break that mold. Under the leadership of director Driss Dallahi, she has found a space where her natural hair and personal style are celebrated.

"I have never gotten any pushback whatsoever on how I want to wear my hair," she noted. "Every way that you see my hair on the sidelines and in the community is my own choice. I never feel limited on this team in terms of how I'm able to present myself most authentically. That was a major challenge along the way, and I’m super thankful for that support."

What makes her story even more remarkable is her life away from the turf. While the Patriots are game-planning for the Seahawks’ defense, she is often balancing the high-stakes world of healthcare. She is a licensed physician assistant, a career that required her to step away from dance for 2.5 years to complete her education. She has worked in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), psychiatry, and inpatient medicine. Currently practicing virtual urgent care, she utilizes master-level time management to juggle rehearsals, games, and patient needs.

"I tell people that I am always tired and I am always sore," she joked. "But I'm able to push through because of how much I want to be doing them and how long I dreamed of doing them and how hard I worked to get here. It makes me want to keep doing all that work to stay in these positions."

The 2025 season has been a whirlwind of "newness" for the organization. Under a new coaching staff and the emergence of young talent, the team felt a shift in culture from day one. While the Super Bowl wasn't necessarily a guaranteed thought back in April, the conviction grew with every victory. For her, seeing the team’s resurgence from a difficult previous year mirrors her own professional ascent.

As she prepares for the whirlwind of Super Bowl week in California, which includes media appearances, autograph signings, and community events leading up to the Feb. 8 kickoff, she is operating from a place of "overwhelming gratitude." She isn't just there to dance; she is there to witness the culmination of a decade of persistence.

"I hope I walk away with a sense of pride in the resilience and determination it took to get here," she said. "I can never look back and say, 'I wish I would have done it.' Even when it was hard, I stayed with it and continued to try to grow and improve along the way and didn't just use the fact that I got there as an endpoint."

When the lights of Levi’s Stadium shine down this Sunday, she will be there—not just as a dancer, not just as a medical professional, but as a testament to the power of the word "yes" after a thousand "nos." For every young Black girl watching the Super Bowl and wondering if there is a place for her on that stage, the answer is standing on the New England sideline.