If you’ve seen a red haired girl making weird noises in the hallway, you probably know Jessie Harmon, a fun, talented girl from Stow. Jessie has proven herself to be a strange, quirky, and fun human being that everyone should have the pleasure of knowing. There are very few people quite like Jessie Harmon and she just so happens to be one of the most interesting students at Nashoba.

Jessie Harmon was born in February 1999 to Pat and Linda Harmon, despite her mother’s joking claim that she was adopted. She has one brother, Eric, and has lived in Stow, Massachusetts her entire life.

In Jessie’s youth, she experimented with different activities such as soccer, field hockey, ice skating, and wearing a dress with sweatpants, but found her true calling in the theater arts.

“In first grade we were reading a play and I volunteered to be the lead,” recalled Jessie. “That was when I realized that I was a theater kid. I wanted to be on Disney Channel with Lizzie McGuire. I’ve always wanted to be acting in some way, shape, or form.”

“I love watching Jessie perform,” noted Erin McNemar. “Her stage presence makes me twitch a bit but in a good way.”

It’s true; Jessie Harmon has a love for theater that shines through every time she takes the stage; whether it’s singing acapella or performing onstage, Jessie will always be happy to be there.

Over the summer, Jessie was admitted into and took part in a prestigious pre-college musical theater program at Emerson College in Boston. “My experience at Emerson College was very interesting,” commented Jessie. “I do recommend it to anybody who’s into theater or any of the other programs Emerson offers for summer programs. I learned so much and I came out of it feeling like a much more educated person as far as theater goes. I value the experience a lot.”

The typical day at Emerson consisted of a jazz or ballet class starting at 9AM, followed by either musical theater dance or an acting class. There would be a break for lunch then either an acting or a song interpretation class. In the last class the entire group would come together and do a little bit of everything. The summer program ended with a showcase of three group dances; along with individual performances of a song and/or monologue of the student’s choice.

“I did a monologue from Gypsy and sang ‘It’s Me’ from Me and Juliet,” said Jessie.

Jessie Harmon is quite on track to major in musical theater in college. She has taken part in multitudes of productions such as Twinderella, School House Rock (soloist for “Zero, My Hero”), You Ain’t Nothin’ But A Werewolf, Annie, Mirror Image, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (Veruca Salt), Don’t Stop Believing, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Les Miserables, Hang Ten, Techie for It’s a Wonderful Life, Peter Pan (Tootles), Fame (Lisa), and The Addams Family. Her dream roles include “What’s Her Name” from American Idiot, Rafiki from The Lion King, and Reno Sweeney from Anything Goes.

Outside of theater, Jessie takes part in many other extracurricular and non-extracurricular activities. “I’ve been a part of the Magic Club, which was fun while it lasted, Creative Writing, Math Team, and been a cheerleader for one year,” said Jessie. “My closest friends are Kayla Lawlor, Carson Bond, Camden Storey, Emily Adams, and Sara Grube. Those are my top five. Jake doesn’t count. I like to spend my free time hanging out with my friends and if not then I’m probably on Skype with my friends.”

Jessie’s friends are the first to point out Jessie’s quirks, but are definitely also the first to tell you how much they love her. “I first met Jessica Raeanne Harmon in the third grade and she was wearing a pair of High School Musical flip flops and I was like “I like High School Musical, too.” remembered long time friend Erin McNemar. “Jessie’s the friend who makes you feel less weird about yourself. [She] is an individual. She is a ball of light. She is a wonderful ginger friend you can always count on. We have been friends for quite a few years. It has been a roller coaster. We’ve definitely had our ups and downs but she’s always really nice and wonderful.”

“She’ll give up almost anything for Chipotle or Starbucks,” joked another friend, Sara Grube. “She’s one of the weirdest people I’ve ever met, but she’s my best friend,” said Kayla Lawlor. “You can always count on her to be there for you whether you need to laugh, cry, or just want someone to accompany you to Starbucks.”

In the future, Jessie hopes to attend school in New York City. She says, “Pace University is my top school because it has everything that I love which is majoring in musical theater and sociology. My second choice is American Musical and Dramatic Academy which is a theater conservatory.”

As Emily Adams once said, “Jessie’s the greatest person on the planet.” Jessie Harmon is a unique individual. She’s never afraid to put herself out there and reach for her dreams. If you haven’t talked to her yet, you definitely should now.