Kennedi Cutler loves opportunities to connect with cultures outside of her own.

The Ada High School cheerleader and her family have welcomed a Japanese exchange student each of the last two years, Ai and Mayuu. Cutler currently serves in Japanese Interact Club, Spanish Club, National Honor Society and Serve Club.

“I feel this has given me great opportunities to become more knowledgeable in other cultures,” Cutler said. “I am also good friends with a French exchange student [Lyly] who attended Ada High my junior year. This allowed me to get to know another culture.”

Cutler’s cheer career began the summer before her eighth grade year. She had no experience, but several of her teammates were in the same boat.

“I would say I didn’t feel very behind as we were all new to cheer but learned quickly. I was a little intimidated to go out and cheer at football games because I wasn’t very outgoing,” Cutler said. “I feel that cheer has made me more of an outgoing person.”

Cutler is one of four seniors on this year’s squad.

“As a team, we are all very close,” Cutler said. “We are together a lot of the time.”

Cutler’s senior year will be a farewell to many of the classmates which she grew up with.

“It’s great growing up in a community like Ada. There is always support around you. It still has the small town feel even though it’s a growing community,” Cutler said. “I’m very excited, because I know we are going to have a great year and am excited to see what the future holds for all of us.”

Cutler has big plans for the future. She aspires to attend college for nursing but is undecided on a school.

“I am doing an internship program through my school at Mercy to get to see some of what nurses do.”