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.