There are plenty of weird stories about how people have met, and Tomma Jessen and Olivia Hemphill are no exception. It was a clear afternoon: perfect for a fifth-grade recess. Jessen peered across the playground and saw her future best friend pretending to be a chipmunk. After that first meeting, the two have become inseparable. “We have been friends ever since,” Jessen said.

Jessen has a 16-year-old brother named Tristan, and she lives with her grandparents Linda and Gary. “I also have tons of pets,” Jessen said. Linda and Gary aren’t the only parents Jessen claims to be her own. “Mama Lisa (Hemphill’s mom) is just really cool. She lets us do whatever we want,” Jessen said. The Hemphill household is one of her favorite places to hang out.

One of the most important things in her high school life is the close friendships Jessen has made, especially those with Cora Zikuda, Bailey Roland and Hemphill. She likes hanging out with the three of them and said her friends aren’t just there for fun; they also help her through some of her more difficult times. “(Bailey) kinda just showed up when I needed her,” Jessen said.

Participating on the archery team is something Jessen enjoys. “The success I’m most proud of was winning third place at the archery state tournament last year (2017),” Jessen said. She has been participating in archery since her freshman year and was especially looking forward to her senior year because she was able to shoot with her best friend Hemphill participating for the first time alongside her.

Looking ahead, Jessen plans to attend a four-year college to become a trauma surgeon, which is a dramatic change from her childhood dream of becoming a veterinarian. Jessen said she enjoys the fast-paced work environment and would like to be a surgeon. Whatever profession Jessen pursues, she will always carry the memories she made in high school with her best friends.