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

Traffic idles while waiting for the lights to change along 33rd Avenue West on Tuesday, April 2, 2024 in Lynnwood, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood seeks solutions to Costco traffic boondoggle

Let’s take a look at the troublesome intersection of 33rd Avenue W and 30th Place W, as Lynnwood weighs options for better traffic flow.

A memorial with small gifts surrounded a utility pole with a photograph of Ariel Garcia at the corner of Alpine Drive and Vesper Drive ion Wednesday, April 10, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Death of Everett boy, 4, spurs questions over lack of Amber Alert

Local police and court authorities were reluctant to address some key questions, when asked by a Daily Herald reporter this week.

The new Amazon fulfillment center under construction along 172nd Street NE in Arlington, just south of Arlington Municipal Airport. (Chuck Taylor / The Herald) 20210708
Frito-Lay leases massive building at Marysville business park

The company will move next door to Tesla and occupy a 300,0000-square-foot building at the Marysville business park.

Everett Fire Department and Everett Police on scene of a multiple vehicle collision with injuries in the 1400 block of 41st Street. (Photo provided by Everett Fire Department)
1 seriously injured in crash with box truck, semi truck in Everett

Police closed 41st Street between Rucker and Colby avenues on Wednesday afternoon, right before rush hour.

The Arlington Public Schools Administration Building is pictured on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in Arlington, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
$2.5M deficit in Arlington schools could mean dozens of cut positions

The state funding model and inflation have led to Arlington’s money problems, school finance director Gina Zeutenhorst said Tuesday.

Lily Gladstone poses at the premiere of the Hulu miniseries "Under the Bridge" at the DGA Theatre, Monday, April 15, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Mountlake Terrace’s Lily Gladstone plays cop in Hulu’s ‘Under the Bridge’

The true-crime drama started streaming Wednesday. It’s Gladstone’s first part since her star turn in “Killers of the Flower Moon.”

Jesse L. Hartman (Photo provided by Everett Police Department)
Everett man who fled to Mexico given 22 years for fatal shooting

Jesse Hartman crashed into Wyatt Powell’s car and shot him to death. He fled but was arrested on the Mexican border.

Snow is visible along the top of Mount Pilchuck from bank of the Snohomish River on Wednesday, May 10, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Washington issues statewide drought declaration, including Snohomish County

Drought is declared when there is less than 75% of normal water supply and “there is the risk of undue hardship.”

Boeing Quality Engineer Sam Salehpour, right, takes his seat before testifying at a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs - Subcommittee on Investigations hearing to examine Boeing's broken safety culture with Ed Pierson, and Joe Jacobsen, right, on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)
Everett Boeing whistleblower: ‘They are putting out defective airplanes’

Dual Senate hearings Wednesday examined allegations of major safety failures at the aircraft maker.

An Alaska Airline plane lands at Paine Field Saturday on January 23, 2021. (Kevin Clark/The Herald)
Alaska Airlines back in the air after all flights grounded for an hour

Alaska Airlines flights, including those from Paine Field, were grounded Wednesday morning. The FAA lifted the ban around 9 a.m.

A Mukilteo firefighter waves out of a fire truck. (Photo provided by Mukilteo Fire Department)
EMS levy lift would increase tax bill $200 for average Mukilteo house

A measure rejected by voters in 2023 is back. “We’re getting further and further behind as we go through the days,” Fire Chief Glen Albright said.

An emergency overdose kit with naloxone located next to an emergency defibrillator at Mountain View student housing at Everett Community College on Tuesday, March 5, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
To combat fentanyl, Snohomish County trickles out cash to recovery groups

The latest dispersal, $77,800 in total, is a wafer-thin slice of the state’s $1.1 billion in opioid lawsuit settlements.

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.