You might say that Ada High senior Ava Patterson is a reluctant success story. Let’s start with cheer where Ava is a three-year starter, two time All- Star at summer camp and a senior captain this year on a team that recently went to the state performance competition and placed sixth.

“My mom always wanted me to be a cheer leader so I first tried gymnastics but that didn’t stick. I really didn’t want to be a cheerleader at first but mom kept encouraging me and so I tried out in seventh grade and I made it and it was fun.”

Then there’s golf where Ava was a member of the Ada girls’ state championship team last spring.

“My dad played a lot of golf and always tried to get me to play. By seventh grade he insisted a little more and so I tried it and it was fun. Eighth grade was the Covid year, so we didn’t do much and by ninth grade I started loving it a lot more.”

Cheer and golf would keep a lot of people busy enough but not Ava who is into a lot more.

“I’ve been in performing arts since seventh grade and I love being on the stage,” said Ava. “I’m also in FCA, Spanish Club, Japanese Club and forensics club as well as the National Honor Society.”

As a senior and a team captain, the responsibility of leadership is on Ava this year and she takes a positive approach to the job.

“I like to encourage others because in cheer it’s easy to get down on yourself. So I’ll try to make a joke or text someone just to pep them up.”

While most cheerleaders say it’s the Friday night lights or the stunts or competitions that they really like, Ava has a little different take.

“My brother wrestled and so I really enjoy cheering for the wrestling team which most of squad doesn’t. But I learned a lot of the cheers and the rules of wrestling watching my brother, so I really enjoy that aspect of cheer.”

Ava says she would like to be remembered as someone that was nice, fun to talk to and funny when she leaves Ada High next year.