STUDENT
CHAMPION SPOTLIGHT
LEXI JARRETT
S
tudent Champions do so much for EAST—both their individual programs and EAST as a whole. That’s why we are going to take time in every EQ to spotlight a Student Champion who is making a difference in the lives of students and facilitators at their schools. For this edition, we sat down and talked with Lexi Jarrett from Cross County High School. Lexi is in the tenth grade and her second year as a Student Champion. It’s no surprise that she rose to take the mantle so quickly, as she’s been familiar with EAST long before she enrolled. “My dad actually used to be an EAST facilitator at Harrisburg High School,” Lexi said. “So I’ve been introduced to EAST for awhile and always knew I wanted to be a part of it.” Lexi joined EAST in 7th grade. Initially she focused on 3D printing, but that wasn’t something that drove her. She found her passion the next year. “In 8th grade I was given the opportunity to provide playby-play commentary for our live-stream program which at the time was an EAST project,” Lexi said. “That’s where I started developing this whole role to where I speak for our EAST program. Everything I do now is oriented around speaking or teaching other students about live streaming.” Her involvement in providing play-by-play commentary for Cross County athletics events took Lexi out of her shell. Lexi says she now loves to talk to people, no matter if they’re a student, teacher, or community partner. This rapid growth is what led facilitator Jason Blake to appoint her as Student Champion when she reached 9th grade. “I’ve always selected students that are very well spoken and students that are really good at keeping track of deadlines,” Blake said. “That role of Student Champion has always been a role with responsibilities beyond just normal classroom responsibilities. She was just a natural fit because as she has moved grade-by-grade, she’s taken on more roles and responsibility.” While many high schoolers are involved in several different extracurricular activities, Lexi’s sole focus is EAST as Blake describes.
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