Back in first grade, senior Jessica Palo made a decision. A decision that would shape who she was as a person and how she would live her life. No, she didn’t decide to be the teacher’s pet or to run for president, she decided to play the fun game of soccer, that’s when her life changed. Even as a child, Palo dominated the soccer field. As she grew, so did her talent, which was admired by all and desired by all. When she finally reached high school, she was given the opportunity that only a handful of others have been given. “I was given the opportunity to play forward my freshman and sophomore years for the varsity Ames High soccer team and had a lot of fun doing it.” said Palo. Palo was good enough at soccer that she was selected into a very prestigious organization, the ODP, which stands for the Olympic Development Program. The ODP is made up of players all around the state of Iowa who try out for this very selective team. “We went all around the country, playing other really good teams. We even got to go to Las Vegas and other cool places, that was awesome.” said Palo. Palo is very different from the stereotypical jock and enjoys doing things unrelated to sports. “I have really enjoyed art my whole life and this year, I finally took a graphic design class and enjoyed it a lot.” Palo said, “It was this year that I decided that this is what I wanted to become when I grow up, a graphic designer.” Palo also enjoys reading, “I go to the library every two weeks to get some new books. I know I’m a geek, but I enjoy reading anyways.” Thanks to her great skills on the field and in the classroom, Jessica Palo has been given the chance to continue with her passions for four more years, at least. “I got a scholarship to Northwestern to play soccer and I will major in graphic design, which I am really excited for.” Palo said. The Northwestern soccer team has played extremely well in past years and Palo hopes to continue this trend, “Three forwards are graduating this year, so that gives me a pretty good chance to start in my first year and really make an impact on the team which I am hoping to do from the start.” Palo said. Even though soccer helped to get Palo into college, she doesn’t expect it to take her out of it. “I don’t really want to continue playing soccer after college,” said Palo “I just want to be able to settle down somewhere nice and start my career as a graphic designer.” No matter what Jessica Palo decides to do with the rest of her life, she will always be cheered on by the city of Ames. Because of this she has decided to give the city and its inhabitants this piece of advice that she hopes everyone will keep in mind as they grow older, “If you are not on the cutting edge, you’re taking up too much room.”