This is Tessa! She’s a high school senior at Legend High School. She’s a dancer, and a super impressive young lady with high aspirations. I’m in love with her points shoes and her dance pictures. They are amazing!
Here’s more about Tessa:
Tell me about dancing your entire life.
I started when I was three years old, and I honestly do not know if there has ever been a day since then that I did not at least think about dance. I admire the sport and all of the challenges it has. I fell in love with how I have to be an athlete and an artist simultaneously. My love for music also feeds my passion for dance. But I think the biggest part of dancing my entire life is that I would not want to be doing anything else.
Do you have any thoughts on what you’d like to do after you graduate?
Yes! I am applying to seven universities, all of which offer a major in dance and a great dance program. I will be applying to UCLA, Chapman University, University of Colorado Boulder, New York University, Pace University, Point Park University and Columbia University. I would love to study dance and psychiatry. My dream is to make it professionally as a dancer, while still being able to pursue my interest in psychiatry.
What are some of your favorite childhood memories?
I have a lot of memories with my family, all of which I cherish. I think my favorite ones all include my older brother. He is honestly the funniest person I know and he always finds the best ways to make me laugh. Whether it’s quoting a movie at just the right moment or just saying some sarcastic comment, he can always make me laugh and I have a lot of memories from his jokes.
Tell me one thing you hope to accomplish in your senior year.
Academically, I am taking AP Research this year and that whole class is dedicated to conducting a year long research project. If I can accomplish that successfully, I would be fulfilling a big goal of mine. Out of school, I’d like to be able to soak up as much as possible and get as close to the people around me as I possibly can before I leave. I once heard someone say that they want to make high school hard to leave because they love the people here so much, and I definitely share that goal.
If you could tell your younger self one thing, what would it be?
Just keep going. My younger self struggled with comparison and seeing pay off. I always wanted to be ahead of where I was and I found myself always wanting to be better at what I was doing. I was always more focused on where I thought I should be rather than focusing on where I was and how that would get me to where I needed to be. So I would tell my younger self to just keep going. Turn your blinders on to everyone else and be present in everything you do. You will get there. You just have to keep going.
Tessa, best wishes for your senior year and your college pursuit. You will do well no matter where you go or what you do, I can tell!
-Jamie
Parker, Colorado High School Senior Photographer
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