Q&A: Hoover High School Salutatorian Jessica Hess

Salutatorian Jessica Hess is off to Michigan to study secondary education and Spanish, but before she does that, she will address her classmates at her high school graduation Sunday.

We talked with Hess, 18, about her plans for the future and what she enjoyed and appreciated about Hoover High School.

(She's salutatorian along with classmate Mark Roshak. is their class valedictorian.)

North Canton Patch: Tell me about your family.
Jessica Hess: My mom is Cynthia and my dad is Phil. My older sister, Nicole, 21, is finishing junior year in Wheaton College, and my younger brother Jacob, 17, is finishing his junior year of high school.

North Canton Patch: What extracurriculars were you in in school?
Hess: I was in choir for four years, a member of the , I ran track for three years and was involved in National Honor Society. I was in Teen Institute and a member of the Spanish Club for four years. I'm also involved a lot in youth group through .

North Canton Patch: Was graduating in the top of your class something you were shooting for, or did it just sort of happen?
Hess: Academics were always really important to me, so I was always working toward doing well in learning. I just have a general love for learning. It's never been about being in the top of my class, or being valedictorian or salutatorian or any of those things. It sounds sort of cheesy, but it's true. I'm very honored I get to be salutatorian, and I'm very thrilled and excited, but it's more me taking classes that were a challenge and trying to do my best in everything that I was doing in school.

North Canton Patch: Where do you plan to go to school?
Hess: I'm planning to attend Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI. I'll study secondary education with a major in math and a minor in Spanish language. I want to be an inner-city high school teacher. I really have a passion for teaching, and I'd like to try to make a difference somewhere where they don't always have the kinds of resources to be effective in the education system.

North Canton Patch: What will you do with your degree? Stay close to home? 
Hess: There's definitely a possibility I'll end up being in Ohio somewhere, not necessarily North Canton, but the possibility of staying in Ohio is definitely great. At the same time, I wouldn't be surprised if I ended up somewhere else as well. Where the need is is probably where I'll be headed.

North Canton Patch: How have your parents and the rest of your family helped you along the way?
Hess: My parents are both definitely into academics. My mom got a Ph.D. and so she has done all the education that you can get. That's always been really important to her. And my dad has always really stressed that learning is really important, and getting all the knowledge you can is a really valuable thing.

And my sister is particularly brilliant, so she was always one of the smartest people in her class in high school and now in college. So given the great example she set for me, I was always inspired knowing great things could be achieved.

And Jacob, although he's younger and we've got a different kind of relationship than me and my sister, he's always been supportive and encouraging. When he hears I did well he'll ask how things went and what the teachers' comments were and things like that.

North Canton Patch: What have you enjoyed most about Hoover High School?
Hess: That is a really difficult question. There have been so many things I really enjoyed. Some of the things I really appreciate about Hoover is the wide variety and well-educated teachers that we have. They're always looking to give you the best. You know at any time of the day you can go up to any one of your teachers and ask them for help on an assignment.

North Canton Patch: What’s the toughest class you’ve taken?
Hess: I've taken a lot of AP and Honors classes ... AP classes were definitely a main chunk of my courses. ... In hindsight, I'm glad I took them at the difficulty I did. They were very challenging, and at the same time, very informative.

North Canton Patch: What teacher has been most helpful?
Hess: Mrs. Tina Cindea. She was my sophomore Algebra II teacher and one of the people who inspired me to work to be a math teacher. We have a really nice relationship. She's always willing to talk whenever you need her. She's a wonderful lady and very intelligent, and she seems to know just the right thing to say.

North Canton Patch: How do you write a good graduation speech? Is there a formula, or what?
Hess: You have to think about the things that are relevant to everyone. We have such a diverse class, and trying to think of something anyone in your class can relate to can be really difficult sometimes. It was weird writing it, thinking of all the different types of people who are really listening.

North Canton Patch: If you could offer any advice to younger students, what would it be?
Hess: I think the most important thing I learned in high school is just that academics are really important, and you need to place high value on them, but at the same time, there's a time and a place for sitting back and enjoying yourself. It's OK to hang out with your friends and be silly. For kids like me, who tend to not really know where to draw the line, I'd say definitely just give yourself time to truly enjoy yourself and hang out with the people you care about.