By Richard Carrier
Contributing Writer

Intuition is not one of my strong points. Typically male, I’m fact and cause-and-effect driven. Consequently, the value of modern-day social networking – if there is any—completely escapes me. I’m not even a big fan of the telephone. To me, face-to-face is the only valid form of communication.

Remarkably, I’ve discovered a kindred spirit, almost exactly 50 years younger.

From an intuition standpoint, I’ve been on the sidelines observing one particular Powhatan High athlete for five years. While her athletic prowess was good, it was by no means either great or the equal to what appeared to be her endless enthusiasm. I wondered if anyone could be that genuinely genuine.

This past week, I finally—and just in time, since she only has a handful of days left in her high school career—worked out a face-to-face interview with the enigmatic Jessie Harris. It was very rewarding and surprisingly revealing experience.
Working an interview into her jam-packed schedule turned out to be a monumental achievement. After performing in the Southside District track meet Wednesday, where she threw both the shot and discus, Harris had to “change into a dress and fly down to the State Capitol for a banquet” as the recipient of a Comcast Community Leadership Scholarship,” advised her mother, Cindy Harris.

She also played both singles and doubles in a tennis tournament on Thursday. Class work and club work on both days left time for me at a premium. But we worked it out and she gave me her time with the enthusiasm and openness that define her.

From my exposure to her on the basketball and tennis courts and around the athletic offices, I knew Jessie to be perpetually “on,” with boundless energy and goodwill. But she couples that with a reputation as a fierce competitor who, while she might knock you down going for a rebound, is quick to offer a hand-up and a compliment for your efforts.

“Basketball is a metaphor for my identity,” she admitted. “Dribbling is juggling my school schedule, the fast-break is me going non-stop, shooting is my leap of faith, the team is my family and defense is guarding myself.”

Guarding yourself? “Yes, I’m really very self-conscious and being busy helps,” she said. “If I’m not being busy, I’m not succeeding, not improving, not helping others.”

Helping others is a theme that runs throughout this remarkable young woman’s life. In addition to basketball, tennis and track, the Interact Club, SCA, Left-Overs, Invisible Children and the Class Council offer opportunities for her to serve the interests and welfare of others. She also participates in the YMCA swim team, Rock Climbing Club and the Art Club.

“I love to draw and would really love to be an Imagineer with Disney. I took every art class possible. Art is the way to express a deeper meaning. Its so much better than our email or texting. ”

The Yearbok and the National Honor Society provide additional outlets for her energy and talents. Her peers recognized and honored her dedication by voting her the Prom Queen this year.

“But,” she confessed, “I’m the girl who never sleeps. Sleeping is over-rated,” she giggled. “And although I’m very competitive, I know my limits. I tell myself to never loose faith. Not only in other people, but in yourself.”

Jessie has distanced herself from the technology and social networking that most of her peers find compelling. “The new technology is not something to play with,” she said. “It’s a part of my lifestyle to not be involved with these new media. I don’t even particularly like the telephone for communicating. Face-to-face is so much better.”

Jessie said she was subjected to severe bullying and emotional abuse as a child, and “often wondered why I was here. My mother and sister [senior Jackie] worried about me and suicide in the third grade.”

Jessie was 11 years old when her family moved from Florida to Powhatan, which she still considers a milestone in her life. “I was emotionally abused by my father. I had no faith in myself. Powhatan saved me. I‘ll never forget how welcomed I was.”

With her mother and sister as her role models, “I realized that being in that situation, I want to help other people. I figure out who I am by who I help. I wouldn’t be anybody without helping others.”

Jessie is off to Virginia Commonwealth University this fall. She’ll pursue a degree in International Relations, while also studying Italian, Spanish and French, so she can tour Europe (She’s already been to Italy, Greece and Turkey) and “pursue my big interest in other cultures,” she said.

Is it difficult to be Jessie Harris? Does she feel pressure to always be “on?”

“No,” she added. “It’s just me.”