Kelly makes transition from Hawaii to Hillsboro
By MICHELLE BOSWORTH
Staff Writer
She arrived in Hillsboro, Kansas on Dec. 31, 10 days after turning 16. Although she was born in Louisiana and lived in Virginia when she was young, Jessica Kelly is actually more accustomed to living in exotic places far out on the Pacific Ocean. Much of her life has been spent on the island of Hawaii at Scofield Barracks and in the city of Kaneohe. She has also resided in Kwajalein of the Marshall Islands.
Jessica refers to her heritage as Pacific Islander. Her mother, Marisa Root, is the owner of the local Little Pleasures coffee shop. She is of Philippine and Portuguese descent. Her father is adopted, but is of Korean origin.
When she lived in Hawaii, Jessica said most of the students at her school, Ko'olau Baptist Academy, were of similar descent. Now, at Hillsboro High School, she is the only Pacific Islander in attendance. Adjusting to that culture change has been a learning experience for her.
Living in Kaneohe, Jessica had become used to relatively mild weather, warm temperatures, and a lot of rain. Here in Hillsboro, after attending her new school for only a day and a half, she experienced the stubborn viciousness of winter in the form of a monumental Kansas ice storm.
Not one to complain about her change in circumstances, though, Jessica relished the "snow days," that followed.
Although Kansas youngsters probably cannot fathom this, Jessica says, "I've never had a snow day before."
She did recall one day in Hawaii, she called it a "rain day," when students were let out of school because the building flooded from poor sewer drainage during a heavy rain.
For Jessica, school is very different here. She had attendedtheacademy since she was in the fourth grade. It was a "very, very small school," she said, with 40 students in the whole high school and 13 in Jessica's class. The student body consisted mostly of children of missionaries and of the military. The building had an open floor plan, and Jessica remembers the Pacific breeze blowing through it.
Hillsboro High, on the other hand, seemed crowded. In the middle of winter it was a closed up building with windows and doors tightly shut. Jessica, who was used to open spaces and free air movement, felt almost claustrophobic, especially in the hallways which she mentions as being a major "adjustment" for her.
But Jessica does enjoy the ability to choose her own school clothes now. Uniforms were the rule at the academy. Girls wore a white or maroon shirt with a gray, knee-length pleated skirt.
"They were very strict about the 'knee-length' part," said Jessica. "I don't miss the uniform."
Although the academy was "pretty challenging academically," the classes offered were very limited.
"They would tell you which classes you took," recalled Jessica.
Upon her arrival here, Jessica was pleased to find a different approach.
"It was pretty cool to pick my classes," she said. "Here you have lots of choices."
"I like the block schedule here," said Jessica. "You have time to really get into a subject." She also likes the learning support time offered at HHS. She likes having a study hall.
Coming in as a junior, Jessica has had to take several freshman classes to meet the local requirements for graduation. Still, she maintains a well-balanced attitude and plans to double-up on her math and science classes next year in her pursuit of becoming a radiologist.
Originating from such a small school in Hawaii, Jessica knew all her classmates well. Unfortunately, leaving that sort of community can be wrenching when friendships are close. Jessica admits to missing her friends, but she tries to keep in contact through e-mails, letters, and sometimes phone calls. She has gained some guys who are friends and a few girl friends since coming to Hillsboro.
Even though she has mostly lived on a beach in Hawaii, Jessica is quick to answer before she is even asked the question uppermost in most Midwesterners' minds: "No, I don't know how to surf," she says.
She watched friends surf, which she said takes a lot of leg and arm strength, coordination and balance. But she preferred to be involved in sand volleyball games with her friends, play in the water, and walk along the beach in the morning when the sun was rising.
Recalling that aspect of her life, Jessica sighs and says, "I miss the beach."
She also misses the island of Hawaii, lush green trees, gorgeous flowers, and the exotic food. Jessica smiles as she says, "I like raw fish, 'ahi,' with 'shoyu' sauce (like soy sauce) on it." It is one of her mother's favorite foods also.
Jessica remembers having papaya trees in her back yard in Hawaii. Her neighbor grew star fruit. Banana trees were abundant. And a mango tree produced fruit at her church. Jessica loved to climb the tree, pick and peel a mango and eat it right there.
Concerning the foods of central Kansas, she likes fresh-grown garden vegetables like tomatoes, green beans, and carrots. Having spent the last four summers visiting here, Jessica enjoyed the produce from her mother's garden even if she didn't appreciate the furnace-like heat and humidity of the season.
When asked what she thought of vrenika, Jessica thought for a while, then replied, "Interesting." With an uncertain look on her face, she followed up with, "Good, I guess."
Jessica enjoys the praise and worship songs at the Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church. She grew up singing hymns in church and finds the new songs fun.
She knows how to play the piano and used to do so for the choir class in Hawaii. Singing is a hobby of hers as is playing the ukulele and teaching herself to play the guitar. During her high school years, she has also been involved in basketball and volleyball.
Recently, along with the Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Youth group, Jessica traveled to Henderson, Neb. While on the road, the group took a break to view the world's largest ball of twine in Cawker City.
When Jessica first saw it, she thought, "We stopped for this???" Then it dawned on her, "That was pretty amazing. That was a lot of twine."
Adjusting to Kansas has been an ongoing process. For Jessica, it has involved cultural changes, school changes, food and clothing changes, housing changes, weather and scenery changes, changes with friends and family, activities and church.
But, when a 16-year-old who has been surrounded most of her life by the exotic beauty of the Pacific Islands, gazes with amazement upon a huge ball of twine, you know she has the stuff it takes to succeed.
