Sultan High School’s Ruth Tess does it all

SULTAN — Ruth Tess, 17, is a senior at Sultan High School who is involved with student government. She hopes to make school more a place students want to be. She holds a steady job and is an only child.

Question: What classes are you taking that you like?

Answer: AP Literature and AP Bio. Although I do like all of my classes. There are different things I like about each class.

Q: What are your interests in school?

A: Student Government. I am the ASB Vice President. I am in marching band, for spring and for fall. I play the marimba, bells, and vibraphone. I like drama, I will play in our school musical “Grease.”

Q: What part are you playing?

A: The principal.

Q: I hear you typically stick around campus after school, what do you do in that time?

A: I am the yearbook photo editor and the chief photographer. I also do honor choir, National Honor Society, pep club and Link Crew.

Q: Tell me about Link Crew.

A: We work with the freshmen throughout the year. So, we take care of welcoming them to our school and mentor them as the year goes on.

Q: What about outside of school, is there anything you do?

A: I have a job. I work for the Monroe Monitor as a freelance writer. I have been there for a little over two months.

Q: What types of things do you write about?

A: Mostly I write about Sultan High School.

Q: So, between work and school, your time is pretty obligated?

A: Yes and no. I am also involved with a family missions group. I’ve been to Moldova, the Philippines, Costa Rica, Washington D.C., and around this state. With the family missions group I have more than 500 hours of community service.

Q: What are your plans after school?

A: I want to find my passion. I’m going to college and intend to find that out. I think it’s limiting to have to decide what you want to do in life when you’re in high school, when I can do anything, be anything.

Q: What schools are you looking at applying to? Or have you already applied?

A: I applied at UW and Western. I applied to a few universities in California but I’ll probably stay in state for college.

Q: Do you have any dreams or goals?

A: I definitely want to study abroad in college. I want to visit Korea. You see, I’m half Korean, and I really want to get to know that half of my culture.

Q: What’s your family like?

A: Well, my parents are missionaries and we lived in Japan until I was in fifth grade. And I’m an only child. We moved to Monroe about seven years ago.

Q: So, do you speak Japanese?

A: Not really. I’ve forgotten most of it. I do speak Korean though. And English, of course.

Q: How do you kick back after doing all of these things?

A: I have jam sessions with my friends. I sing, one of them plays piano, another plays the guitar, I play the guitar. I like to watch Korean dramas with my friends. And we play Pathfnder, it’s like a D&D type of game.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

In this Jan. 4, 2019 photo, workers and other officials gather outside the Sky Valley Education Center school in Monroe, Wash., before going inside to collect samples for testing. The samples were tested for PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, as well as dioxins and furans. A lawsuit filed on behalf of several families and teachers claims that officials failed to adequately respond to PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, in the school. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Judge halves $784M for women exposed to Monsanto chemicals at Monroe school

Monsanto lawyers argued “arbitrary and excessive” damages in the Sky Valley Education Center case “cannot withstand constitutional scrutiny.”

Mukilteo Police Chief Andy Illyn and the graphic he created. He is currently attending the 10-week FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. (Photo provided by Andy Illyn)
Help wanted: Unicorns for ‘pure magic’ career with Mukilteo police

“There’s a whole population who would be amazing police officers” but never considered it, the police chief said.

Alan Edward Dean, convicted of the 1993 murder of Melissa Lee, professes his innocence in the courtroom during his sentencing Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Bothell man gets 26 years in cold case murder of Melissa Lee, 15

“I’m innocent, not guilty. … They planted that DNA. I’ve been framed,” said Alan Edward Dean, as he was sentenced for the 1993 murder.

People hang up hearts with messages about saving the Clark Park gazebo during a “heart bomb” event hosted by Historic Everett on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Clark Park gazebo removal complicated by Everett historical group

Over a City Hall push, the city’s historical commission wants to find ways to keep the gazebo in place, alongside a proposed dog park.

Hawthorne Elementary students Kayden Smith, left, John Handall and Jace Debolt use their golden shovels to help plant a tree at Wiggums Hollow Park  in celebration of Washington’s Arbor Day on Wednesday, April 13, 2022 in Everett. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Snohomish County to hold post-Earth Day recycling event in Monroe

Locals can bring hard-to-recycle items to Evergreen State Fair Park. Accepted items include Styrofoam, electronics and tires.

Everett
Everett baby dies amid string of child fentanyl overdoses

Firefighters have responded to three incidents of children under 2 who were exposed to fentanyl this week. Police were investigating.

Everett
Everett police arrest different man in fatal pellet gun shooting

After new evidence came to light, manslaughter charges were dropped against Alexander Moseid. Police arrested Aaron Trevino.

A Mukilteo Speedway sign hangs at an intersection along the road on Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
What’s in a ‘speedway’? Mukilteo considers renaming main drag

“Why would anybody name their major road a speedway?” wondered Mayor Joe Marine. The city is considering a rebrand for its arterial route.

Edmonds City Council members answer questions during an Edmonds City Council Town Hall on Thursday, April 18, 2024 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edmonds fire service faces expiration date, quandary about what’s next

South County Fire will end a contract with the city in late 2025, citing insufficient funds. Edmonds sees four options for its next step.

House Transportation Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., speaks during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, May 15, 2019, on the status of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
How Snohomish County lawmakers voted on TikTok ban, aid to Israel, Ukraine

The package includes a bill to ban TikTok if it stays in the hands of a Chinese company, which made one Everett lawmaker object.

FILE - In this May 26, 2020, file photo, a grizzly bear roams an exhibit at the Woodland Park Zoo, closed for nearly three months because of the coronavirus outbreak in Seattle. Grizzly bears once roamed the rugged landscape of the North Cascades in Washington state but few have been sighted in recent decades. The federal government is scrapping plans to reintroduce grizzly bears to the North Cascades ecosystem. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)
Grizzlies to return to North Cascades, feds confirm in controversial plan

Under a final plan announced Thursday, officials will release three to seven bears per year. They anticipate 200 in a century.s

ZeroAvia founder and CEO Val Mifthakof, left, shows Gov. Jay Inslee a hydrogen-powered motor during an event at ZeroAvia’s new Everett facility on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, near Paine Field in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
ZeroAvia’s new Everett center ‘a huge step in decarbonizing’ aviation

The British-American company, which is developing hydrogen-electric powered aircraft, expects one day to employ hundreds at the site.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.