Mitchell Cutter believes you don’t have to be smart to get a 4.3 GPA, do well in a rigorous academic program or be a national merit semifinalist.

No, all you need to be a good student, the Bend High School senior said, are some decent balancing abilities and, above all, a good attitude.

“If you’re going to do something, do it,” said Mitchell, 17. “Don’t just slog through it and do it halfway. Get everything you can out of it. That’s a good motto my dad’s always saying to me.”

Over the past four years, Mitchell has gotten a lot of chances to test his philosophy. He plays football, lacrosse, and serves as captain of Bend High’s alpine skiing team while maintaining his GPA in the school’s International Baccalaureate program.

Alpine skiing is one of Mitchell’s biggest passions.

He’s been captain of the varsity ski team since his sophomore year. Despite never having won a race, Mitchell continues to work hard to win one. This winter break, he’s spent most of his vacation training at Mt. Bachelor.

Mitchell is a third-generation skier, and has been skiing since he was old enough to walk. Both of his parents went to Bend High before him and competed in sports.

“It’s cool to have that kind of legacy and that familiarity with the family name at school,” Mitchell said.

While sports consume much of his time, Mitchell’s first priority is academics. Aside from his grades, he’s also one of just a handful of students in the district to be named a national merit semifinalist for his high PSAT scores.

Mitchell says he’s most interested in math and science, specifically, anything that has to do with the environment. His interest in the outdoors started at a young age when his mother would take him to the High Desert Museum. Mitchell loved the museum so much, he started volunteering there during middle school. Now, he’s a volunteer team leader with the museum, organizing and scheduling volunteer shifts for others.

Ski coach Greg Timm said that Mitchell leads by example with his diligence and dedication. His coach recalls one time last season when Mitchell didn’t do as well in a race as he hoped. Mitchell’s reaction was telling of his leadership qualities.

“He wasn’t so much disappointed for himself and his individual results,” Timm said. “He was disappointed because he felt he’d let his teammates down. It showed just how much he cared about the team.”

Timm said the first thing that most people will say about Mitchell is that he’s a “brainiac,” but Mitchell’s smarts go way beyond good grades, his coach said.

“He’s got world smarts,” Timm said. “He has an awareness with people and relationships that’s a little more advanced than most kids his age.”

Mitchell plans on taking both his book and world smarts to college next year. He’s applied to 12 schools, with his top choices being Stanford University and Whitman College. He’s considering studying the environment or pre-law.

In the near future, Mitchell’s goals are to maintain his GPA, win the Mr. BHS pageant, which he was nominated for earlier this year, and most of all, win a ski race.

“I just love competing,” Mitchell said. “It’s a great way to show what’s in your heart — to show all the good effort you have.”