Dancing has long been an important part of Bailey Kitts’s life. As of Wednesday afternoon, it will continue to be with her as she heads off to college later this year.

Kitts signed her national letter of intent to continue her academic and athletic careers at Tennessee Tech, where she will be a member of the dance team.

“I’m so thrilled to be able to dance collegiately, because it’s been my dream since I started doing high school dance,” Kitts said. “I’ve always done studio since elementary school and then my friend introduced me to the high school dance team and I gave it a try and I loved it, so just knowing that I’ll continue doing that for the next few years, that’s really exciting.”

There were multiple factors that went into Kitts’s decision to join the program, which competes in the NCAA Division I Ohio Valley Conference but will be joining the Southern Conference later this year. This included the welcoming nature of the coaching staff, as well as the other team members. The school itself also played a role in her decision to make the move to Cookeville.

“The coaches are very nice and welcoming. They give good feedback and they’re just very up-front. I felt like, at the tryouts, all the other teammates were also just very supportive. Everyone was there to build each other up, they weren’t trying to be rude or anything,” Kitts said. “And the campus is gorgeous.”

Kitts plans to pursue a degree in political science on a pre-law path, with the goal of potentially pursuing a career in law or government.

She added that she was thankful for her family and her faith for helping her get this far.

“I want to thank my mom just for being really supportive,” Kitts said. “I also just want to thank God for getting me where I am today.”