Senior Spotlight: Natalie Zatalokin — School Spirit to the Core

August 30, 2026
The Nest, Inside Orchard View Athletics
Justin Troyer
Presented by: Vandyk Mortgage

Muskegon, MI — Some students show school spirit by wearing the colors. Some show it by filling the stands on game night. And some seem to carry that spirit with them everywhere they go.

For Orchard View senior cheerleader Natalie Zatalokin, school spirit isn't something she turns on when the football team takes the field.

It is simply who she is.

A four-year member of the Orchard View High School cheer team, Zatalokin has spent her high school career cheering at football games and hopes to continue that tradition as basketball season approaches. But according to those who know her best, her impact reaches far beyond the sideline.

“She’s school spirit to the core,” said Head Volleyball Coach Alecia Miller.

And it's a description that seems to fit perfectly.

Head Cheer Coach Brenda Brewer has watched Zatalokin grow throughout her four years with the program. While the cheer team doesn't assign specific roles, Brewer said there is no question about the

leadership Zatalokin brings to the group.

“She is definitely a leader,” Brewer said.

That leadership isn't necessarily about having a title. It's about being the person others can count on.

Zatalokin consistently shows up to practice, helps lead practices, teaches cheers to newer members of the team and makes a point of welcoming visiting cheerleaders to Cardinal Stadium.

And she does it all with a smile.

“She is always very respectful to me as a coach and to her teammates as well,” Brewer said.

That combination of leadership, kindness and energy has made Zatalokin a memorable presence within the cheer program.

Of course, four years of cheering wouldn't be complete without a few memorable — and sometimes hilarious — moments.

Brewer said Zatalokin has never been afraid to leave it all out there.

“There are many funny moments with her as she never holds back and leaves it all out there,” Brewer said.

Her personality is part of what makes her such a recognizable presence around Orchard View.

One of Brewer's favorite funny moments involves Zatalokin's mom.

“If her mom is not right in front of her, she has a fit,” Brewer joked. “I am glad she has that kind of relationship with her mom, but it is funny to see.”

But those who know Natalie say her biggest impact may have little to do with cheerleading itself.

Zatalokin is seemingly always involved in something happening at school.

Homecoming. Spirit weeks. School dances. Events throughout the school year.

She has also been involved with choir and has visited elementary schools, where her energy and, perhaps most importantly, her smile have made an impression on younger students.

For some of those younger students, Natalie isn't just a familiar face from the high school.

She's a big sister.

And according to those around her, she embraces that role with the same enthusiasm she brings to the football sideline.

“She’s a big sister to some really great kiddos and she’s their biggest cheerleader,” Miller said. “She’s got a big heart and is a positive role model for the young girls in our community.”

That may be the best description of Zatalokin's legacy at Orchard View.

She cheers for her teammates. She cheers for her school. She cheers for younger students. And she cheers for the people around her.

Her role as a cheerleader may put her on the sidelines during games, but her influence has never been confined to the edge of the field.

She has one of OV's biggest cheerleading hearts!

As Natalie enters her senior year, she has one more season to lead cheers, welcome new teammates, make people laugh and bring her unmistakable energy to Orchard View.

And whether she's wearing a cheer uniform, singing with choir, participating in a school event or simply walking through the halls, one thing seems certain:

Natalie Zatalokin doesn't just cheer for Orchard View. She is part of what makes Orchard View worth cheering for.

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