Once a year, the Hometown Hero series features one or two high school seniors, chosen from nominations submitted by South Whidbey’s public schools, homeschools and private schools, and Running Start. This year’s youth heroes are both from South Whidbey High School.

Jennifer Barrow

Focus on your hopes and dreams, not your fears. Think about your unfulfilled potential, not your frustrations. Do not dwell on your errors, but what possibilities you have yet before you.

This is one philosophy Jennifer Barrow said she reviews to charge her hopes and promises.

“Jennifer is one of the most outstanding, caring, compassionate, thoughtful, responsible young adults I’ve come across in my 20 years in education,” said Jack Terhar, Langley Middle School teacher and coach. “I can tell you she does not give up in anything she does.” Terhar calls her “a great role model not only for her peers, but for us ‘old fogies’ as well,” pointing to her activities: organizing the LMS Relay For Life, volunteering with the Salvation Army, serving on various school committees, coaching, getting involved in the buddy program, or maintaining her high grade-point average.

Barrow herself says that more than anything, she wants to help other people, and in order to do this, she needs to focus on the positive in her own life to keep her spirits up.

When Barrow was 11 years old, her father suddenly passed away. In the same year, her younger sister was diagnosed with cancer. (It has now been in remission for five years.)

The South Whidbey community began raising money for Jennifer’s sister. She said the American Cancer Society gave her family ferry tickets and other help, “so I know personally how good it feels to receive help…My sister and our whole family were so grateful.”

However, she noticed something else.

“All the people volunteering seemed overjoyed and grateful to be able to help out.”

Emulating their giving and joyful example, Barrow set out to find out first-hand how rewarding it is to help others. She organized fellow students to volunteer at Ronald McDonald House, then started Relay For Life teams at the middle and high schools.

She quickly made helping and giving to others a part of her daily life.

“I have a real supportive family and an inspirational mother,” she said. “She’s had to raise five children alone, yet she’s always positive. It’s so sad losing a loved one. The loss of my father’s presence pops into my mind every day.”

Barrow said she makes it a conscious practice to concentrate on happier thoughts. She smiles often.

“I know what a smile means to me from someone else, so I give my smile to others, even when I don’t feel like it. It’s hard to feel all gloomy inside while you’re smiling, and they’re contagious, too.”

Every night, she reads 10 stories from her favorite series of books, “Chicken Soup for the Soul.”

“I once read a quote in there, something along the line of ‘to be angry or depressed even for one minute is a minute of happiness tossed down the drain,'” she said.

Barrow is so moved by the suffering in this world, she wants to become either a pediatrician or an oncologist, specializing in the treatment of cancer.

“Sometimes I allow fear to enter my mind, that I may not get into med school, maybe my GPA won’t be high enough,” Barrow said. ” I remind myself to stop those thoughts. I’m going for my dream here. At the end of my life, I don’t want to look back and say to myself, ‘Why didn’t I try?'” She said everyone has obstacles to overcome; giving into fears is just an excuse.

Barrow practices this effective attitude daily. In track, for example, she said, “Sometimes I would start to think, oh my gosh, I can’t run all of this, I’m too tired, it’s too far.’ I changed my thinking to ‘OK, I’m on my way, look how far I’ve gone, I’m almost done.'”

When asked about any accolades she has received, be it Homecoming Queen or other awards, Barrow is genuinely humble.

“I’m really grateful and honored people are so generous to me, but there are so many people that happily do so many wonderful things for people every day and never receive any recognition,” she said.

Fellow SWHS student Kelsey Simmons said Barrow is easy to be around. “Jenn is sincere, people respect her. She works hard at everything she does. I am absolutely sure that she, above everyone else in our entire school, contributes the most time and effort in making the school and community a better place for all of us to reach our dreams.”

Brice Hansen

You’re either your own best friend or your own worst enemy.

“Some people wait around for someone or something to get them motivated,” said Bryce Hansen, “but you have to take responsibility for motivating yourself, and that way build confidence.”

Culley Lehman from Clinton writes, “My whole family thinks this is a perfect honor for Bryce. His kindness, caring, respectful manner, and compassion for others make him not only a hero, but a role model for young and old.”

Hansen is a highly capable, polite young man who expresses an exuberance about life. He has a willingness to solve any problem or tackle any challenge.

“I’ve known Bryce since I was in kindergarten, and he’s inspired me to do many things, most recently to join the fire department,” said neighbor and fellow South Whidbey High School student Reed Dettrich.

“Bryce and the other volunteer firefighters go into burning buildings and risk their lives to help others. I could not have done a lot of things without Bryce’s example,” he said. Hansen, in turn, said volunteering for the department is really rewarding and the people there are the ones he looks up to and learns from.

Hansen said he was fortunate for the experience of a yearlong sailing trip he took with his family at the age of 12. He credits his interactions with adults and with children of other cultures for contributing to his maturity. Last summer, he earned the honor of meeting and speaking with President Bush at the White House. He said, with a big grin, “I gave him some good advice I think, too.”

“Knock on wood,” Hansen said, “I haven’t experienced any atrocities to overcome in life…yet. But when I do I want to respond to them the way I’ve seen some face their hardships, and actually make something good come from them.”

Hansen says his parents never nagged him to do his homework.

“They simply and clearly let me know what’s expected to become successful and content in life,” Hansen said. They never handed him money when he wanted something, either. He had to become resourceful and search out a way to earn it. Consequently, he built his own lawn maintenance service. “This built confidence in me, that I could earn my own money.”

One of Hansen’s role models has been his Uncle Ed.

“My uncle is always generous with his time, money, and gift giving,” Hansen said. “He’s an optometrist that gives away free eye exams and eyewear to the needy. In the winter, he feeds the elk herds barred out of the valley.”

Alluding to the “fantastic” role models and opportunities he has found as a volunteer firefighter with Fire Distrirct 3, Hansen expresses a wish “that all students would find a positive activity.”

“I’m concerned about some students’ self-image, predominantly the girls,” he said. He said he is aware of the harmful images that mass media like movies and magazines target females with to “believe in the whole celebrity thing,” Hansen said.

“It’s sad and a waste of time, that Hollywood thing to be thin and look and act a certain way. We’re not Faith Hill or Brad Pitt, and we’re not going to be.” Some students copy one or two peers in appearance and behavior, stripping themselves of individuality.

“Why don’t they be their own self?” he asked. “It’s really goofy.”

About himself, Hansen said, “I don’t have natural talents. I mean, I’m not naturally smart or a good reader or writer or anything. I’m just a so-so athlete and, oh, I’m a terrible singer, I mean terrible.’

However, he said, he doesn’t let these facts discourage him.

“I know if I want to improve on any of these bad enough, I just have to work hard at them.” Hansen golfs for the SWHS team and said, “Golf is frustrating for me…I can’t count the number of times I’ve wanted to quit.” Regardless, Hansen is still a golfer today, a metaphor for his attitude toward life.

“If someone asks me to do this or that, even if…I don’t know the first thing about it, I still say, ‘I don’t know how, but if you want me to, I’ll sure give it a try.’ “

Local college journalism student Sean Janssen, a 2001 SWHS graduate, contributed to this story