It’s not often that younger students get the benefit of free advice from a successful high school student—so that is the purpose of this profile of graduating Momence senior, Jesselle Joseph. Jesselle was recently accepted into her top two college choices: the University of Wisconsin (Madison) and the University of Michigan, both outstanding schools. She plans to major in Chemistry and Neuroscience.

For those wanting to carve their own path of high achievement and success, Jesselle has plenty of great ideas. For middle schoolers, she starts with a big one: “Join the Math Team!” She believes that her participation in the Math Team was instrumental in her achievements in STEM and has carried over into confidence and success in other areas of academics and extracurriculars.

We are eager to hear more.

About the Math Team, Jesselle says, “You might think, ‘Oh, they’re kind of nerdy.’ But I honestly loved it. It was really fun.” A team member from sixth through eighth grade, she competed in three different math team competitions: Momence, Beecher, and Kan-Will. Kan-Will was probably her favorite, since she remembers placing there. Each event required a specific type of preparation, which meant learning new math beyond what they were studying in the classroom. Jesselle loved that challenge and the opportunity to see how the new math skills could be applied, and then sharing that knowledge with others through the competitions.

We asked Jesselle how she might advise a fifth-grader about what she needs to do to make school work for her. Jesselle is bubbling over with ideas—we might call them “Jesselle’s Rules for Success”:

1. Get involved with your school and try new things. “I know some people, once they get a specific friend or a friend group, they try to cling to them, which is fine,” but it may limit what they are exposed to. “Definitely try and venture out a little bit more to see what you like because you guys can still be friends and just have different interests, if that makes sense.” It makes perfect sense, and it’s an interesting perspective.

2. Appreciate your teachers more. “Some students always find a hard time with their teacher rather than just appreciating what they’re trying to do for them,” she says. “They are people too. Try to just talk to them.”

3. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Whether it’s your teachers, parents, or whomever, ask for help when you need it. If you don’t understand a problem, stay after class and ask your teacher to help you with it. That’s their job. We agree and suggest that leaning into asking for help is a good habit to carry into college and life.

4. Try hard things and don’t fear failure. Jesselle knows that some students are intimidated by trying the harder courses like AP Calculus because they are afraid they won’t be able to handle it, that they will fail. But her AP Calculus teacher, Ms. Kristina Debeck, has taught her that failure is a necessary part of the learning cycle. Jesselle notes, “It’s okay to be nervous about a challenging class or subject, but I suggest framing it as: ‘It’s going to be challenging, I’m going to get through it, I’m going to do my best, and I’m going to come out on the other side of it.’ And smarter for it.”

5. Know that EVERYONE can be good at math, “regardless of whether you’re a girl or a boy.” What really matters is, “Are you willing to work hard? Are you willing to struggle with difficult things? Are you willing to ask for help when you need it? These,” Jesselle believes, “are the determining factors of your own educational success.”

6. Finally, for parents: If your child is struggling with math, don’t yell at them (they already feel bad enough), but encourage them to ask for help (see #3).

Jesselle believes that everyone can shine at math if they like it and are willing to work hard (and ask for help). She returns to how great the Math Team is for helping middle school students discover and nurture a love of math. She appreciates how the Momence schools and community support student learning in this area. And she knows that as it has been for her, others who engage with and excel in math can expect to see a ripple effect. Confidence breeds confidence, and Jesselle reflects that this has definitely been true for her. She never hesitates to ask a question or share an opinion as she glides confidently toward the exciting future ahead.