When Jenna-Jo Duffy commits to something, she’s going to put in a quality effort.
From the drama-department actors to the associated-student-body (ASB) representatives to the volleyball players, they all had the Cedar Park Christian senior on their side during her four years at the Bothell school.
In the classroom, she was a Washington State Scholar with a 4.0 grade-point average, a National Honor Society member and earned the Presidential Scholarship to earn a full ride to Northwest University in Kirkland in the fall. For now, she plans to major in Biblical literature and minor in psychology.
“I’m really self-motivated and I’m always trying to use my time wisely,” said Duffy, 18, who will graduate June 4 in a ceremony at school. “If I do something, I won’t do it half-heartedly for an hour, I’ll do it hard for a half an hour, so that way I can get all the stuff done in the right amount of time. Just being smart (with my time) — working in the car when you can or on the bus if you’re going to sports games. Just finding pockets of time to use.”
And she’s used her time to the fullest, twice as an ASB class representative and once as chaplain; four years with the Eagle volleyballers, making the state tournament and bonding the whole way; and both on the acting and leadership side of things on the drama scene, where she directed a one-act performance of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.”
While Duffy is ultra active at school, she also enjoys her social life. It’s a balancing act that Duffy feels she’s more than capable of mastering.
“Sometimes it can be easy to get too caught up in the little things, worrying about every single test or every paper — and then you forget about life,” she said. “I want to enjoy people and make a difference in other people’s lives and not just let life go by.”
She’s ready to attend Northwest University, where her sister recently graduated from and her brother studies at, as well.
“I like their heart and I just felt I clicked with it,” she said of Northwest.
The school’s Biblical studies program is a plus, too, and Duffy finds that a number of verses from Psalms have helped her along the path to success at Cedar Park Christian and led her to her next academic institution.
“(Psalms) talks about how God is my strength, because a lot of times I’ll think, ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t get through finals week.’ It’s crazy (school and life) — it’s a lot. You can get stressed out,” Duffy said. “You just do your best.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the third in a set of four Bothell-Kenmore Reporter high school graduate profiles. Check back tomorrow as the final profile will be posted to our website. All four profiles will be featured in this Friday’s issue (June 3) of the Bothell and Kenmore Reporters.
