“The best leader leads by example rather than by dictating to others.” -Zach Hess
Zach Hess, a junior here at the high school, was born in Mishawaka; however, he wasn’t raised in a typical Mishawaka atmosphere. Both of Zach’s parents were residential directors until he was six and starting kindergarten, so his early years were spent on the Bethel Campus. His parents, however, did decide to move off campus so that they could be closer to a school so that Zach could walk home if he ever needed to.
Speaking of school, Zach is typically a quiet student. He typically doesn’t speak in class unless he feels he has something important to say. So far, he has enjoyed his years at the high school and says he “feels that every day gives a new chance to learn and yet still be able to spend time with friends.” He hopes that he can improve his spelling and writing. Outside of school work, Zach participates in the school’s Quiz Bowl team. This year was his first year, and he has participated on both the JV and varsity teams. Aside from that, he takes part in his church and spends lots of time with his family. Zach enjoys reading, walking his dog, and playing video games.
Five years from now, even though he isn’t sure what field of engineering he wants to go into, he does have a plan for college. Zach would like to see himself attending Notre Dame following three years at Bethel in a cooperative engineering course between the two colleges.
An important lesson that Zach has learned is that “short-term emotions are not as important as thinking long-term.” This lesson has helped Zach many times. His role model is his dad. “He had a rough childhood,” he says, “Yet he grew up to be a great man. He works hard, not for the chance to get a raise or a promotion, but because it is the right thing to do.”
On the top of Zach’s bucket list, he hopes to visit New Zealand because it is the setting for The Lord of the Rings. He would also like to invent or even discover something new.
Every day, Zach continues to work hard for his dreams and hopes to one day be remembered as a “leader who is able to help others learn and pushes them towards their maximum potential.”
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