For Jessy Funk ‘22, middle school was grim.
“I felt….bored in middle school,” Funk said. She was underwhelmed because she felt there wasn’t a place for her interests at her middle school, Monarch K-8. When she was challenged, it was only in a few places.
Her life also felt chaotic. She couldn’t keep track of things she was involved in. This led to the notorious bad habit of procrastination. It meant waiting until the night before to cram and stress. But that wasn’t the only thing that held her back.
“I am definitely a perfectionist,” Funk said. “In middle school, I would spend hours on an assignment because I knew I had a test the next day.” She had an urge to make everything flawless. The battling feelings of waiting until the last minute and making everything perfect overwhelmed her.
So, she decided to make a change in high school.
She realized that procrastination would get her nowhere. She also began to draw the line between perfect and good enough. She saw how far was too far.
She learned this by forcing herself to think, “this is good, it doesn’t have to be perfect.” Funk understood that other aspects would suffer if she spent too much time on one assignment. The further into high school she went, the more she accepted this new thought process. It kept her busy, and happy.
Funk wasn’t the only person who noticed changes as time went on.
“She wasn’t a natural, like in kindergarten she wasn’t running clubs or anything like that. She was a bit more shy,” Funk’s mother, Debra Brady, said. “But when she started high school, she decided to get involved.”
DECA, Distributive Education Clubs of America, was one of the first clubs that Funk set her eyes on in high school. The business club nurtured her passion for economics and public speaking. As her interest in DECA grew, so did her desire for leadership.
“When I first met Jessica, she stood out as someone who is really hardworking and passionate and excited to try new things.” Jody Bennett, the adviser of DECA at Monarch, said.
Funk made a point to jump into a new life in high school. This meant setting her sights on her major interests: economics, politics, and business. DECA gave her the perfect space to explore those, especially when she became a leader.
“By the end of her four years here, she will have been the only student that I know to have been on the DECA officer team for four full years,” Bennett said.
When given the opportunity to be passionate about her interests, like politics and business, Funk dove right into clubs like DECA, Speech and Debate, and JSA. She finally found ways to express herself.
“Clubs have been a way to keep me busy and make sure that I feel fulfilled and good about myself,” Funk said. “When I’m working on a club, I have something to do and it keeps me happy.”
She dove into leadership roles for the clubs she loved. “Instead of just saying, ‘Oh yeah, I’ll participate in that,’ [she said] ‘I’m going to lead it, I’m going to create something and I’m going to study so that I can do my best,’” Bennett said.
When she leads a club, she thrives on it. “It’s a great way for me to give back to the activities I enjoy,’’ Funk said.
For many, a schedule this full would be exhausting, but Funk doesn’t want a break.
It’s her passion.
She wants more. Not only in the present, but the future.
“Maybe after college, I’ll become a lawyer or get a Master’s degree in Economics. I think I’d really like to be involved in public policy.” Funk said.
She’s also a black belt in taekwondo and a lover of volleyball. She’s in Science Honor Society and she’s also got a funky sense of style. This shows that even though her passion takes up most of her time, she’s more than that. And she’s ready to conquer the world with her busy schedule in hand.