By Chris Cox
Matti Hess has been cheering since she was six. It was something that she said came naturally to her.
“I did gymnastics when I was younger,” she said. “Then, after I got out of gymnastics, I got into competitive cheer. Ever since then I’ve just loved it.”
The interactions that come with cheerleading are some of her favorite things about the sport.
“When we go to cheer camp over the summer you meet a whole lot of new people,” she says. “This year I kind of stepped out of my comfort zone and met and interacted with a lot of new people.”
While meeting new people might be a step out of Matti’s comfort zone, she’s at home performing in front of the Vinita fans.
“That’s not a step out of my comfort zone because I love doing it,” she says. “When it comes to competing and gamedays, I know I can go out there and just have fun.”
As a senior on the Vinita cheer squad, she’s taken up the task of trying to build relationships with her teammates.
“I try to bring the team together,” she says. “I like to do fun things together and try to get everyone to hangout after school and practice.”
To be a good leader, Matti knows that she has to have good character. That’s something she strives to show on a daily basis.
“I just try to be a good role model, especially for the underclassmen,” she says. “I try to show them what it means to be kind and respectful.”
Hess credits her coach, Christy Kennedy, with helping her become the leader and cheerleader she is today.
“She’s helped me a lot,” she says. “She’s just helped me get to where I am today.”
Along with cheer, Matti also runs track and cross country for Vinita High School where she qualified for the state meet in the two mile relay once and is a two-time state qualifier in cross country.
Outside of athletics, Matti is a member of the student council and National Honor Society at Vinita High School. She is also a part of National Technical Honor Society through Northeast Tech in Afton, where she is a part of the health careers program. Following graduation, Matti plans on attending Rogers State University where she hopes to cheer while studying nursing.
