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Schools

Whiz Kid: Jesse DePaolo

Swampscott teen has the drive, the determination, and the respect of her peers, to be successful in whatever she sets her mind on, in the classroom or the athletic field.

 

senior Jesse DePaolo has her resume ready, her goals in mind, and has had an independent spirit in her since her mom took her to her first day of classes at the Machon School a few years back.

“She was four years old, and I brought her to the first day of school and she said, “Mom you wait here, this is my school and not for parents,” her mother Jan said.

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At age 10, Jesse read an article about Lance Armstrong and wanted to participate in bike races and triathlons.  Jesse wakes up each day with two things in mind, how to improve herself and improve the world around her.

DePaolo plays soccer, lacrosse and basketball for the Big Blue, and played a solid game at quarterback for the SHS Powder Puff/Flag Football team that slammed the ladies from Marblehead last month 28-14.

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Jesse was 2-2 in the air and was flawless giving the ball to Kelly Birchmore and Marina Padovani, Birchmore ran it in three times and Padovani once in the win.

“It was great, a great game, the team worked exceptionally hard and we were well prepared, and got good results against Marblehead,” Jesse said.

On the football field, Jesse wore the number 54, for her brother Adam who passed away when she was a freshman.

The DePaolo’s live on Hillcrest Circle and Jesse has lived in town her entire life. She hopes to attend the Naval Academy or the Coast Guard Academy after SHS.

“I love the ocean, I’ve worked at Children’s Island for years, I’ve been a life guard, I love the water,” Jesse said.

DePaolo is the captain of the Big Blue lacrosse team, “my teammates appreciate what I do on the field, I try to be a leader,” she said. The basketball season is in full swing and Jesse hopes she and her teammates can get the Blue back to the state tournament in 2011-2012.

“I really enjoy psychology and my grades are pretty good, I usually make the honor roll, academics are very important to me,” Jesse said.

“My mom was a great student when she was in school and my dad was big in sports, so I have a lot to live up to but that’s fine,” Jesse said. Her mom was a cheerleader and played sports at SHS in the mid-1970’s and her dad George was the captain on the Big Blue football and ice hockey teams, graduating in 1975.

The DePaolo’s are members of St. John’s Church and Jesse is an altar server volunteer, and when she’s not getting ready for a game or practice she writes poetry.

“I’ve had some poetry published, and that was very exiting,” Jesse said. 

Jesse has been a peer mentor, a student council member, a peer leader, a member of Students Against Destructive Decisions, and was a Girl Scout for eight years. Her cumulative GPA at SHS is an impressive 3.5.

“I like to write, I love poetry, Congressman (John) Tierney has written a letter for me to attend the Naval Academy, that’s my dream, I’ve worked very hard to get there,” Jesse said.

“It’s been wonderful to be a kid in Swampscott, it’s got a great small town feel and people know each other, and it’s a close community, the people are great,” Jesse said.

DePaolo won the Presidential Fitness Award as a sophomore and junior, and was the Swampscott Teen Poetry winner in 2008. Jesse has volunteered at My Brother’s Table, and been involved in Locks For Love, Race For The Cure, Race For Honor and Breast Friends, for cancer research.

“I love to compete and I love to do my best, and I try to be self-motivated, and work as hard as I can to have success,” Jesse said.

 

 

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