Marietta’s Reed uses cheer as way to inspire, help others - Daily Ardmoreite

April 07, 2019 at 10:48PM

MARIETTA — Growing up, Marietta's Abby Reed never envisioned herself as the cheerleader type.

Editors Note: This is part of a series profiling the finalists for the 2019 Cheerleader of the Year award, which will be announced at the Best of the Arbuckles Preps banquet in May.

MARIETTA — Growing up, Marietta's Abby Reed never envisioned herself as the cheerleader type.

Fast forward 17 plus years later, Reed isn't just captain of the Lady Indians cheer team, but is known as a community ambassador as well.

"It's been a really great opportunity all throughout high school being a cheerleader," Reed said. "I was really shy when I was growing up, so I never thought I'd go out and do something cheer related. When I tried out my freshman year and made it, that's when I knew it was possible, and was something I really enjoyed doing."

"Cheerleaders set the mood for everyone at games," Reed added. "Just being able to be put in that position where you can give back to the school is amazing for me. Cheer has taught me so many things throughout high school including leadership, which is something I'd have never learned or experienced without it."

Aside from being a four-year member of the Lady Indians varsity cheer squad, and carrying a 3.8 GPA, Reed has been busy in other areas of school at Marietta.

She is a three-year member of the student council, as well as a three-year class officer.

Reed is also the senior class president and student council president.

She's been involved with FCCLA (two years), Yearbook (three years), Fellowship of Christian Athletes (four years), competitive speech (three years) theatre (two years), Gifted and Talented (four years) and National Honor Society (three years).

Reed's work in the community is also extensive as she has volunteered with the children's ministry at First Baptist Church in Marietta, as well as the Thanksgiving Food Drive and March of Dimes.

She has also helped at the local food bank as well as with the Hatak Yearby Memorial Run.

When it comes to cheer, Reed has been a recipient of the UCA Pin it Forward award, as well as becoming the first ever two-time representative from Marietta on the All-Ardmoreite cheer team.

"At first it was challenging balancing so many activities," Reed said. "When I was a freshman I did struggle, and I had to get used to it. But as I've gotten older I've been able to mature and learn things."

"You have to make time for things, that's just how it is," Reed added. "Balancing everything has taught me that I am capable of doing so much. Now that I have this experience, it's going to help me going forward in college and for the rest of my life."

Abby's love and passion for helping others isn't stopping once she graduates the halls of Marietta High School as she plans to pursue it even further when she goes to college this fall.

"I plan on going to Oklahoma Baptist University and studying nursing," Reed said. "The plan is to get my RN and then go and get my BSN. I've always had a passion for helping people and being that caregiver towards people. I feel like nursing is the perfect career path for me because I love helping people so much."

Having already made history as the first ever two-time representative from Marietta on the All-Ardmoreite cheer team, Reed has her sights on leaving a bigger legacy, as the first ever Cheerleader of the Year award winner, something she said a lot of credit would have to go towards her coach Tonya Bucher.

"It would be a once in a lifetime opportunity not just for me, but my school," Abby said. "I feel like that would show all of my hard work in cheer and extra activities has paid off for me, and I'd be able to represent Marietta at the same time."

"Tonya isn't just a cheer coach but she is a mom as well," Abby added. "She's been really strict on us, but that's been a good thing for us. We've had a young squad the last few years, and we've been able to do camps and various cheer events because of her. She cares for us, loves us and wants us to do our very best."