A leader and top student, Katherine Kutsar deserves a salute

Some kids have it, that quality that puts them in charge. Cadet Major Katherine Kutsar is one of them. 

“I’ve learned that I’m, like, a natural leader, it comes easy to me, I’m able to get along with people,” Katherine said. 

Katherine is a senior at Coral Springs High School, where she leads the Air Force JROTC unit. Her commander, Senior Master Sergeant William Ethridge, says everyone looks up to Katherine.

“Absolutely, she’s a role model,” Ethridge said. 

Her friends say she leads by example, not by screaming and yelling. 

“I’ve always looked up to her, she was amazing, I mean, her leadership skills are impeccable, absolutely impeccable,” said fellow senior Ashley Made-Rosas. 

I asked another classmate, Nyasia Arnoux, if Katherine was that kid everyone turns to for advice and help. 

“Absolutely, she’s very smart and if you ever need help with anything, I always feel comfortable going to her about anything,” Nyasia said. 

Katherine’s a top student in the Cambridge program and has her eyes set on becoming a doctor. She says the rigors of JROTC help her handle high-level academics and a host of extracurricular activities. 

“Being able to balance everything has taught me a lot so I know going into college and having a job and everything on top of it, I’ll be able to manage my time, so it definitely does help with discipline,” Katherine said. 

“So it’s clear to me that she’s dedicated, I mentioned the word driven, extremely driven,” Ethridge said. 

That doesn’t mean she’s all business.

“I think at school I’m very, like put together, and I feel like I’m locked in and I know where I’m going, it’s kind of like tunnel vision when I’m here but when I’m at home or out with my friends I’m just a normal person,” Katherine said with a laugh. 

She’s the type of person who takes on challenges and throws caution to the wind. On a whim, she decided to learn the saxophone last year and join the marching band, the first time she’d ever played a musical instrument in her life.

“It was kinda one of those things where I was like, I need to do something new and challenge myself, I’m one of those people where if someone tells me I can’t do something I’m going to do it,” Katherine said. 

Not afraid to step out of her comfort zone, and is mature enough to take the long view. 

“Being able to understand that some things aren’t as serious as you might take them, so even if you get a little bit of a downhill battle, for me, my junior year, it was really hard, you just have to, like, wait it out and things will get better again,” Katherine said.

It’s about resilience and perseverance. A kid like that deserves a salute.