August Student of the Month: Jacob Harrison

Jacob Harrison, 17, of Dixon, is Dixon High School’s August Student of the Month. He is the son of Christopher and Angie Harrison, and his brother, Jared, is a freshman at DHS.

Favorite class: Statistics, because what we learn in this class is actually applicable to the real world.

Least-favorite class: Intro to research, only because I took a college-level course that covered the same concepts last year.

Favorite teacher: Jason Mead, statistics. He moves through the course quickly, while still making sure that everybody understands the material, and he improves my day with his dry humor.

School activities: Football, student advisory committee, concert band, pep band, jazz band, National Honor Society and the spring musical.

Civic, church, volunteer or other activities: I attend Immanuel Lutheran youth group in Dixon, am a member of the Dixon Municipal Band, and volunteer annually to help set up Petunia Festival.

What will you do after high school? I do not know which school I plan to attend, but some of my prospects are University of Wisconsin-Madison, Ohio State, and Butler. I plan to dual-major in economics and international relations, and want to study abroad.

What is something you learned in high school that you think you will never use? I don't believe I will ever again need to classify every word in a sentence according to its grammatical purpose.

What kind of music are you listening to? I listen mostly to John Mayer music, which can range from electric blues to folk, depending on my mood. My favorite song is "Lenny/Man on the Side", a medley from his live album "Any Given Thursday".

Do you have a hobby? Playing the piano, and customizing my phone.

What's the one thing in your life you can't do without? I could not live without some form of music in my life. Whether I'm playing it or listening to it, music keeps me going.

What is your advice for surviving high school? Do your work, and if you are having trouble, get help immediately.

What scares you? The thought that I could die and be forgotten, because I feel that if I don't impact the world or anybody around me deeply enough to be occasionally thought of when I'm no longer around, my life has been wasted.

What's something about you that nobody knows? I used to want to be an author, and have started a book that I believe is actually quite good that I don't know what to do with now.

If you could ask President Obama any question, what would it be? What is the single-most important thing that I need to do to attain success, aside from the obvious – working hard, and staying focused?

If you could try any job for a day, what would it be? A diplomat.

If you could go anywhere in the world for free, where would it be? I would go to Venice. I feel like Venice would be such a peaceful city, and the canals would be beautiful.

What is the last good book you read? "Inheritance" by Christopher Paolini, which is the last installment in a series that began with Eragon. It's a fantasy book about a teenager who chances upon the last dragon egg outside the control of the evil king. The egg hatches for him, which sets him down a path he could never have imagined himself on, and sometimes overwhelms him. The obstacles he has to overcome are many and varied, but in the end, (spoiler alert), he succeeds not through his strength or power, but through his humanity and understanding. It really draws you into the story line, and Eragon himself is a very relatable character.

What is your proudest moment? When I performed an incredibly difficult "Pirates of the Caribbean" medley on the piano at a local talent showcase. It took me months of practicing, but in the end, my performance was very good.

Who is your role model? My grandfather, who has worked very hard to earn what he has, has lived an interesting life, has awesome hair that I hope was passed down to me, and is funny on top of it all.

Is there someone you'd like to send a shout out to? I'd like to shout out to my mom and my dad, whom I'm very thankful for, who love me, and who will always want to help me, and to see me succeed.