A Good-bye to Mr. Jessop

May 8, 2012 • Kaestle Charlesworth, Staff Writer  
Filed under Student Life

While going through high school each student is blessed with some teachers and peers who inspire them. However often times we overlook some of the people who have made the biggest difference on us each day we have spent at Woods Cross. This past week the debate students as well as Mrs. Viny’s World Civ classes had to say goodbye to one of the most spectacular student teachers I have ever seen, Russell Jessop.

As a member of the Debate team I was privilege to have Jessop assist me while I prepared for Nation Qualifiers, State Debate, Mock Trial and Model United Nations. He worked very closely with me and the other members of the congress team such as Luke Hansen who told me, “Jessop helped boost my confidence in myself, which helped propel me to become a region champion in Congress this year. He is a great teacher who is easy to relate too and is very cool too!” Annie Moscon, another member of debate, was more than happy to tell me, “Mr. Jessop was a great teacher, he’s the type of teacher that you know just enjoys what he does and that’s what makes him such a good influence.”

To me Mr. Jessop has inspired me to achieve my personal best. There was not a single day during the weeks spent preparing for different events that he didn’t spend at least a few minutes making sure I understood my topic well. Not only did he make sure I was doing well during class but he was always willing to put in extra hours. We spent days after school giving speeches to students and Jessop was always there to critique us.

However, even with all the debate skills he helped me with, it’s the moments he took to make sure that I, and every other student, was doing well. He cared about each of us, he connected to the students so well while still keeping a proper learning structure. My fellow team members Mckay Holbrooke and Cannon Nichoals boasted to me that, “Jessop was a great mentor; he brought in quiet confidence, which has been what our entire debate year has been based off.” Cannon interjected saying, “He always taught us a humble, respectable confidence which allowed us to preform excellently at tournaments.” I fully agree with these boys, because Jessop has been a huge mentor to me personally. He has shown me that I should do what I love, through his passion for teaching.  I speak for the whole debate team when I say that Mr. Jessop changed our team. He showed us how to be confident but not cocky, he helped us develop amazing speaking skills, he was always willing to offer new perspectives for us to use during our speeches. Most of all he made us connect as a team and grow together, making it so that we learn as a team rather than individuals.

It wasn’t just the students who admired the work and effort that Jessop put into teaching while he was at Woods Cross. When I asked Mrs. Viny what she thought of Mr. Jessop she said, “I think that people are natural teachers, and are born to teach, he [Mr. Jessop] is so comfortable in the classroom, always well prepared. He was the best student teacher I’ve ever had.” I could see the gratitude Mrs. Viny had for the time Jessop was able to spend in her class room. From each person I spoke to about him there was not a single comment that was negative. He has had a huge impact on students here at Woods Cross.

Another department which Russell Jessop has taken a part in at our school is our baseball team. For the past two years Jessop has spent hours on the field helping to train, inspire and coach the boys. Although he had a lot of impact with his World Civ students, Debate team and faculty members I have never heard a group of teenage boys who hold so much respect for a single individual.

Every single boy that I interviewed said that they looked up to him; they mentioned that he taught them to be determined, to set goals and do everything it takes to reach them. One of the varsity players spoke to me about how, “Russ showed us what it is like to be a real man, the way he talks about his wife has shown me how much to treasure girls. He does more for me off the field than any other coach I have ever had.” The power behind each of the players showed me that, although Woods Cross may not be able to have Jessop remain a permanent member of our staff, he will never be forgotten.

I’ll close this article with my own thank you note to a man who has challenged me to make the best of my life, to accept the challenges I have been presented and who has shown me to never give in. He has taught me to rise up, to not set limits, because we can accomplish anything. To push through the hardest times while holding on to those who you hold close to your heart.

In this life we have people who enter and exit our lives all the time. From every person who has had the privilege of having Jessop enter their lives for a small time, we say thank you. We wish you the best.

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