Easygoing, caring, and full of laughter is how I would describe 16-year-old junior Jasmine Patrick.

When asked about the type of first impression Patrick thought that she gave off, it was clear that she already knew the answer.

“Some people who don’t know me sometimes say, ‘Before I knew you, I thought you were mean,'” Patrick said.

After people get to know Patrick, they realize that she is always up for a good laugh and is willing to help out when someone asks her for help.

Kate Weycker, junior and friend of Patrick, is one of the people that had that same first assumption.

“Before I even met Jasmine, I thought that she was mean,” Weycker said. “But now that I know her, she is someone that I know I can always go to. She’s very honest.”

Patrick is someone who always has an opinion. When asked what bothers her most, she replied with “ignorance.”

In Patrick’s free time, she loves to read, listen to music, watch movies, play tennis, and spend time with friends.

Patrick’s favorite artists include One Direction, 5 Seconds of Summer, and Little Mix.

When it comes to reading, there is never a moment where Patrick does not have a book to read or a book that she is waiting to get.

Patrick plays tennis, making the varsity squad her sophomore year. She plans to continue playing for as long as possible but only leisurely after high school .

Alysa Figgins, junior, was Patrick’s doubles partner last year.

“Jasmine is the best doubles partner I’ve ever had,” Figgins said. “She is someone that I can count on, and I know that she is working just as hard as I am during a match, if not harder.”

Patrick is always going to as many tennis practices as possible and is always willing to give good, positive comments to whomever needs it. There were days where she walked around and gave a compliment to anybody she passed, making their day.

A great deal of Patrick’s free time is spent volunteering, and her dream job is to be either an adoption counselor or a social worker.

Patrick is already preparing herself for her future by taking advanced classes, getting good grades, and being a part of the National Honor Society.

To help her get a good look at a social worker’s job, she volunteers at Hurley Medical Center in the pediatrics unit. Patrick volunteers there to get an early start with helping children.

At Hurley, Patrick is allowed to get things for patients and sometimes sit with them. At times, she sees social workers doing their jobs.

Patrick feels that it is nice to do something for somebody to “change their life.”

“I like the idea of being able to make someone’s life better,” Patrick said. “When you see sad things, everybody is just like, ‘Oh, that’s sad.’ I’m kinda more like, ‘Oh, I want to help them.’ I don’t just want to sit there and watch.”