Child Profiles
Jessica, born January 1995
There is no better way to spend a sunny Arizona day than to head to the local theme park for some fun with friends. Eleven-year-old Jessica recently met a new friend, 12 News Today's Scott Light, at Castles and Coasters in Phoenix for some rides, some laughs and a lot of fun.
The pair started their adventure with a spin around the pond on the bumper boats. Hopping aboard his boat, Light joked, "Remember Jessica, I can bump you - you can't bump me!h But Jessica was not about to follow those new rules. Once she got to the middle of the pond, she made a b-line toward Scott's little boat. The splash that resulted was enough to soak Light's pant leg. "Come back here you," he laughed, revving his engine. Zooming to catch up with Jessica, his boat hit its target, soaking him even further. Jessica screamed, then laughed when she realized she had made it through the bumper attack unscathed. "Woohoo," Jessica squealed.
After their spin around the pond, the two sat down to talk. "Tell me about 6th grade. Tell me about your day in school. What's it like," Light began. "I have a little bit of trouble," Jessica admitted. "But it gets better as I go along." She told him that her favorite subjects are science, math, social studies and language arts. And while science tends to be the hardest of these, she seems to enjoy the challenge it presents. Jessica is a bright girl who likes school and loves learning.
Light smiled, "do you eat lunch in the cafeteria?" Jessica answered that while she often eats the schoolfs food, gsometimes I pack my lunch." If she decides to buy the school lunch, she noted, she enjoys the pizza most. That is by far her favorite. But if she gets to pack her lunch, the food is much sweeter. Her ideal lunchbox fare? "Brownies, chocolate, candy," she said. "What about a sandwich," Light asked. Jessica shook her head and smiled, seeming to notice the omission. "Peanut butter and jelly," she giggled.
When she has time off from school, Jessica enjoys swimming, watching movies, playing outside and talking on the phone with her friends. The television in Jessica's house is almost always tuned to MTV. She loves watching videos, she said, because she enjoys watching people dance. Her favorite music includes rap, hip hop and oldies. The best songs, Jessica shared, tell stories about the singers and their lives. Hip Hop artist Beyonce is tops on Jessicafs list of favorites.
When she has a chance to head outside, Jessica loves being athletic. "My favorite hobby is soccer," she explained. And while she does not play on a team, she loves getting kids together at recess to play a pick up game every now and again. The allure of soccer for Jessica is all of the action. "There's a lot of running (and) kicking the ball," she said.
Over the summer Jessica took a very special vacation. "Where did you go," Light asked. "Disneyland," Jessica lit up. She said that the trip was amazing and that she got a chance to ride on dozens of rides. "I remember going on the Haunted Mansion. That was my favorite ride but it kind of spooked me out," she giggled. And while she was in the Magic Kingdom, she caught the attention of the big guy himself. "Mickey Mouse. He waved to me!"
"When you get to the weekend," Light asked Jessica, "what do you like to do? Like, what's a really good weekend for you?" She thought for a second, looked around and replied, "Go to Phoenix, Castles and Coasters, hang out with my family." Lucky for her, she was able to spend a weekday at the Phoenix fun park.
Jessica noted that she loves roller coasters and fast-paced rides. As she and Light hopped onto the green freefall ride and pulled the safety bars over their heads, Jessica made sure that her new friend knew that this one was going to be exhilarating. "This is my favorite ride by the way," she told him as the ride made its way up to the top. She squeezed her eyes tight, anticipating the drop that was to come. gOh, you got to keep your eyes open,h Light teased her. She opened them briefly, then had a worried look on her face. "No, you can close them," he said.
Their seats lifted up to the top of the ride and, without even a moment of pause, the pair suddenly dropped. "Whee," Jessica Laughed. "That came out of nowhere," Light said, breathless. Jessica continued to giggle as the ride lifted and dropped them several more times. "I love this ride," she squealed. After riding the freefall one more time, Jessica and Light made their way to solid ground. Jessica had a smile from ear to ear. "I can't get enough of that!"
A bubbly and fun-loving girl, Jessica is looking forward to having a permanent and loving family to call her own. Her ideal family will include two parents and, because she is eager to be a big sister, younger children. She would love to find a family able to devote time and attention to her and spend plenty of quality time together vacationing, watching TV and snuggling.
For more information about Jessica or to learn about foster care and adoption opportunities, please call AASK at (602) 254-2275.