By Katie Ngo
Exuding positivity in everything she does, senior and Editor-in-Chief Tessa Nacke leads Baron Banner with a smile on her face.
Nacke initially joined Baron Banner after reading the newspaper all the time and seeing online how she could apply. She came into the newsroom wanting to write news articles but found a love for feature articles.
“I love seeing people’s faces light up, and I just love highlighting someone’s talents,” Nacke said.
In feature articles, Nacke enjoys giving recognition to people who might not otherwise receive it, especially since the large size of Fountain Valley High School (FVHS) may cause many to slip through the cracks. Above all, she loves the connection found between interviews and the wider community at large.
Her favorite article? A piece she wrote about the pool at school. In the article, Nacke explored how the old age of the pool disadvantaged FVHS swimmers, interviewing various swimmers on the water polo and swim teams.
“It was really cool to see that community. How they received the article was so positive, and I really had a fun time researching for that one,” Nacke said.
Outside of Baron Banner, Nacke loves going to the beach. She explores a new beach every Wednesday alongside her friends, with her favorite beach being Shaw’s Cave in Laguna Beach.
In addition, she dances both in and out of school. Nacke is a part of the FVHS Song team, fitting her enthusiasm for spirit and dance.
“I’m on the song team, so it’s not cheer, but it’s not dance. It’s some nice happy medium in between,” Nacke said.
Nacke finds inspiration for her positive attitude from multiple people in her life: her parents, who work hard to provide the life that she has; her older cousin Hayden, who was also editor-in-chief for her school’s student newspaper; and her church friend Rhegan Crosby, who similarly exudes positivity and inspires Nacke spiritually, daily and academically.
“I want people to be able to feel like, oh, someone’s looking out for me,” Nacke said.
Nacke’s passion and care for her community and those around her shine through in everything she does — with her joy for Baron Banner being no different.
Nacke is also a big fan of 2000s teen rom-coms with her favorite movie being “10 Things I Hate About You.”
Being around different kinds of people every day, the most important people to Nacke would have to be both of her parents, who she loves very much.
“They’ve always been there for me and they’ve always been supportive,” Nacke said.
Whether it be around her friends, family or even a potential friend, Nacke is never afraid to be herself.
“I just really love what I do.”