Senior Spotlight

Tonight was a combined RS/YW dinner and program where they honored the young women who are graduating from high school and also graduating from Young Women and entering into Relief Society. The RS went all out! It was in the Parry's backyard and they had a full Luau with sticky rice, teriyaki chicken, shredded pork, cucumber salad, macaroni salad, fruit, and Allison's mini key-lime pies for dessert. The decorations were beautiful and they even had hula dancers! (One lady and a darling little four year old girl who also performed). 

The three graduates (Jaiden, Emily, and Alivia Erickson) sang "Glorious" while Brynn Wilde played the piano. Then we spotlighted the girls and they showed a video of pictures of them throughout the years. 

Senior Spotlight Questions:

Name: Jaiden Jensen

Favorite book: Catch Me If You Can

Favorite place to eat: Chick-Fil-A or Costa Vida

Hobbies/Talents: Singing, Dancing, Acting, Tumbling

Activities: Musical Theater, Madrigals, Executive Council. She also completed an Internship in Athletic Training. She dances with Southwest Dance and is currently preparing for her Senior Concert.

Favorite movie: Doesn’t have one, but her favorite Broadway play is Hairspray!

Biggest Fear: Spiders

Describe your daughter in 3 words: INVOLVED!!! Enthusiastic, Compassionate   

Interesting Fact: Jaiden played the part of SpongeBob in The SpongeBob Musical at Snow Canyon High School this past Fall. She was also 1^st Runner Up in Utah in the Distinguished Young Women Program. She is the Sterling Scholar for Speech and Drama, and recently won Runner Up in Region.

Plans after High school: Jaiden plans to attend Southern Utah University with the President’s Scholarship, rooming with her best friend, Emily Williams. She wants to major in Exercise Science.

What is your favorite thing about your daughter?

Jaiden is fun to be around! I love hearing about everything she is involved in. She is very passionate and has this beautiful smile that just lights up the stage. She loves to perform, and I LOVE watching her perform!   

Anything else you want to tell us about your daughter?

Jaiden cares about other people. She has been “blessed with the spiritual gifts of leadership and service.” She has been heavily involved in many fund-raisers and service projects this past year. But more than that, she reaches out to “the one.” She is very inclusive and goes out of her way to be a friend to others and treats others with respect. We are very proud of Jaiden and the amazing young woman she has become!

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Side note: For Sterling Scholar Jaiden had to get several letters of recommendation, and every one of them commented on her qualities of leadership, service, and friendship. One said, “Through her efforts over the years she has helped raise over $30,000 for those in our local community that were in need of assistance.” Another said, “she goes out of her way to be a friend to those who need a friend” and “She treats others around her with respect and is very patient with others.” Another said, “She can often change the mood of morning rehearsals by being present.” I love that each of these letters not only focused on her many achievements, but also her character and the way she treats other people! We love you, Jaiden!  

 

Senior Spotlight: Janelle

Tonight was a combined YW/RS activity to spotlight our Senior girls!  It was held in Robyn Parry's backyard with a nice spread of food. (Only I ate a gluten free cracker that had either almond flour and flax seed in it, which made me really sick. I was kicking myself for not checking the ingredients first!) Thankfully I was able to make it through the program before becoming really sick.  Jaiden, Janelle, and Emily sang their beautiful rendition of "Come Thou Fount" and Jan Broberg sang "I Dreamed A Dream" from Les Miserables. Each of the moms were asked to fill out a questionnaire for their daughter's spotlight. I have included Janelle's below! They also showed a nice slideshow of pictures of the graduating girls. Those graduating were Janelle Jensen, Sophie Smith, and Tayli Morris. 

Senior Spotlight Questions:

Name: Janelle Jensen

Favorite book: The Hunger Games Series

Favorite food: Lasagna

Hobbies/Talents: Singing, Sleeping, Reading

Activities: Madrigals, Seminary Council, Musical Productions, hanging out with friends, hiking, working at Papa Murphy’s Pizza.   

Favorite movie: Doesn’t have one.

Biggest Fear: Isolation

Describe your daughter in 3 words: Pure, Spiritual, Compassionate

Interesting Fact: Janelle has always been very expressive and talkative. In the fifth grade she won first place in district in the Storytelling Festival. She was also a Hands in Harmony Caroler for several years.   

Plans after High school: Janelle plans to serve a mission and then pursue a degree in Occupational Therapy.

What is your favorite thing about your daughter?

Janelle cares about other people. She will often ask me about my day and expresses gratitude freely. One line in her patriarchal blessing states: “You have been blessed with eyes to see the hurt in others and with a heart to heal.” I love this sentiment and it describes Janelle perfectly!

Anything else you want to tell us about your daughter?

Janelle has always had a desire to do what is right. She regularly studies her scriptures and records spiritual insights in her study journal. She is a great teacher and will be an awesome missionary! Janelle is beautiful inside and out! I am so grateful that she is ours!

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY4gmz5G9-g)

Graduating from Young Women

In Relief Society last Sunday the Relief Society Presidency invited the Young Women who are graduating from High School come in to Relief Society.  They displayed a picture of each girl and had each of the mom's give a spotlight about them.  I have included a little bit about Janika below:

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Janika is the oldest of our seven children and has always been a tremendous help to me.  She serves her family in numerous ways.  She takes care of her younger siblings and will do fun projects with them.  Her sisters love to have Janika paint their nails or give them make-overs.  She loves to cook and is often trying out new recipes as she makes meals for our family.  I have had many friends tell me, “Can I have her?  I really need a Janika at my house!”  

Janika had a very busy Senior year.  She represented her school as the Sterling Scholar in Family and Consumer Science (FACS) and also represented our city of Santa Clara as the Santa Clara Princess.  She was also the Seminary Council President this past year at Tuacahn High School.  Janika earned 17 credits of college credit through concurrent enrollment classes at Dixie University this past year along with her regular high school classes.    

Janika has received several academic scholarship, but has decided on Snow College.  She wants to attend a mission and eventually graduate from College as a marriage and family therapist.

Janika loves to sing and has performed throughout the community for many years in a variety of ways.  She was in madrigals at Snow Canyon High School and has also been a member of the Hands in Harmony Carolers ever since she was eight years old.  Janika even had the opportunity to perform in the Broadway show of Les Miserables at Tuacahn as young Eponine when she was twelve years old.  

Janika has many talents which include singing, performing, cooking, sign language, academics, taking care of children, and reaching out to others.  Janika enjoys creating things and loves to find new ideas for “do-it-yourself” projects on Pinterest. 

Janika is a remarkable young woman who truly exemplifies the young women values in all that she says and does!  She is very Christ-like and service oriented and is often doing things for other people. She is very responsible and dependable.   She is a wonderful example to her family.  I feel very privileged to have Janika for a daughter.  I have come to depend on her in so many ways and love to spend time with her.  I will really miss her when she goes off to college!  

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Tonight for Young Women's they had a little party for all of the Laurels who were graduating from Young Women's.  The Young Women's leader, Sister Lindsey, asked the parents to bring over a picture of their daughter as a Beehive along with a current picture to see how they had changed during their Young Women years.  Here are Janika's pictures.  She was beautiful then and now!