Cushing High School senior Brinlee Bickell has built her high school career around leadership, teamwork and a commitment to helping those around her succeed. Whether cheering on the Tigers or competing on the golf course, she has embraced every opportunity to make a positive impact.
Bickell, a three-year captain of the Cushing Varsity Cheer team, celebrated two memorable milestones during the 2025-26 school year. The Tigers’ competitive cheer squad qualified for the state competition for the first time in 10 years, while the girls’ golf team reached the state tournament for the first time in four years.
For Bickell, those accomplishments were built on relationships and accountability.
“Cheer has taught me that you can’t grow as a team if you don’t have good relationships and positive attitudes within the team,” Bickell said. “Golf has taught me that you don’t only need to work hard for yourself, but for your team.”
She said both sports have reinforced the importance of putting the team first.
“Even when it’s hard or you didn’t have a good day, you need to leave the bad attitudes at the door and work hard for not only yourself, but your team,” she said. “They depend on you, and you can’t progress if you’re not willing to.”
Bickell credits Mrs. Coffelt for encouraging her to see challenges from new perspectives and pushing her to become the best version of herself. She also looks to former teammate Brailee Floyd as an example of positive leadership.
“She was always positive and pushed the team,” Bickell said. “I believe part of my leadership skills came from watching Brailee be a leader.”
Beyond athletics, Bickell is a member of National Honor Society, Tomorrow’s Leaders and serves as vice president of HOSA through the Health Careers program at Central Tech Drumright. During the past year, she earned certifications as a certified nursing assistant, home health aide, and in CPR and Basic Life Support (BLS).
The advice that has stayed with her is simple: “Learn how to learn.” Bickell believes remaining coachable is essential to growth in sports, school and life. “If you aren’t coachable, then you will never progress in life,” she said. “If you never take corrections or advice given to you, life will just be harder on you.” It is a philosophy that has shaped her leadership and one she plans to carry well beyond graduation.
