Jennifer Hoffmeister is a well-rounded young student with an excellent academic record. She’s been in this school district since Kindergarten, and although she was born in Penticton, her family moved to Germany for a few years and German is her first language.
Jennifer says she has always been very strong in math and science in high school but even in elementary school she had a natural aptitude for math and she skipped grade 2 mainly because she was so good at the subject.
Music is also huge in her life. An accomplished harpist, who last year played with the Okanagan Youth Symphony, Jennifer has played group and solo pieces at Moog & Friends Hospice House. In 2011 at the Penticton Kiwanis Music Festival she took four first place awards in Grade 4 Harp and was awarded the Medal of Excellence in Strings.
Jennifer says since coming to high school she enjoyed the exploration of new ideas and ‘why do we do the things we do’. This quest for understanding has made her a strong student with straight A’s in the academic courses throughout her time at BCSS.
When asked how she managed to achieve this she responded – “A lot of it makes sense to me – but also I study a lot. If I have something that I don’t understand then I will sit down with it and study it until it makes sense to me. Because I want to make sure that I really understand it. Because if I don’t understand it then I won’t be able to use it again in my life.”
“I study hard to get the grades that I want to get and work hard to accomplish,” she declares. She admits she enjoys being pushed to achieve. “I can push myself to a certain point but it also helps if there is someone else with you. Motivation from someone else helps me. I definitely think I can do it on my own but knowing that someone else believes that I can too helps with that.”
She has matured as a leader while at BCSS as well. “Joining clubs has helped that,” she said. A student council representative in Grade 11, Jennifer served as president in Grade 12. She has worked as a junior Cabin Leader at Pines Bible Camp as well.
Her parents own Dolchi Deli in Osoyoos and Jennifer often helps out there too.
Her career goal is to become a psychologist working with teens. “I want to try and make a difference in the world in that area – teenagers who are suffering from depression.”
She plans to attend Simon Fraser University to earn a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, which is offered there, rather than through the more typical Bachelor of Art degree.