Meet Jimmy!
Jimmy has been a student in our virtual program since nearly the beginning, joining us in January 2021. Over the course of four years, she has played an important role in the growth of our virtual community, witnessing the program evolve and expand while making valuable contributions of her own.
This year, Jimmy was elected as our first-ever student School Meeting Clerk and note taker, taking on the responsibility of organizing the weekly agenda. She also served as chair of both the Conflict Resolution Committee and the Engagement Committee.
Jimmy has been leading an ongoing Fursuit Making Class, working alongside students to teach and demonstrate each step of the process. She is guiding students through building foam bases, constructing patterns, and hand sewing a variety of stitches. (The entire project is hand-sewn so students don’t need to purchase sewing machines.) Jimmy is also teaching students how to cut, shave, and style fur, as well as how to create eyes, apply lining, and add the finishing details they typically use in their own suits.
In addition to that, Jimmy has hosted an ASL class, giving students the opportunity to learn sign language from Dr. Bill Vicars, a Deaf ASL professor at Cal State Sacramento. Jimmy streamed guided video lessons from Dr. Vicars, and students followed along together.
Another valuable contribution from Jimmy was when she stepped into a staff role when one of our members, Owen, was out sick. Jimmy shared: “This year, I substituted for Owen for a day. I copied their profile picture and added sunglasses on it, and changed my server name to ‘Owen but less cool’ cause Owen is really cool. I went to all their activities, committee meetings, and even shared my thoughts at the staff values committee meeting!”
That was one of Jimmy’s favorite memories and here are a few more:
“One night at the end of 2022, my school friends and I stayed up until 4 am talking and cracking jokes, one being the “griddy for Stardew Valley”. Several of us had just met that year, starting a friendship that continues to this day, it was a great bonding experience.”
“And in 2024, we finally all got to meet in person at Camp IRL! We played games, went to the park, drew each other’s characters, and stayed up until 3 AM for deep conversations and groundbreaking laughter. Carson even did our makeup!”
“Also, during Camp IRL, a couple of groups of students went to Disneyland. There, I had a wonderful day bonding with Lexie. That night, our group all wanted different things for dinner and we agreed we would all meet at the front of the park at closing. Lexie and I went and sat down and had a lovely conversation about our school experiences and how we found The Open School, that’s one of my favorite memories. “
“In 2021, the staying up late challenge made its rounds. The first one was where I met Emory. A group of us were there at the beginning of the night, but slowly people started going to sleep. Then, there was me, Emory, and one other student. At some point, the other student started yelling at his mom, and Emory and I were laughing about that and talking in DMs to avoid confrontation with them, cause they were a bit younger than us. They finally left around 1am, but Emory and I stayed up, talking, sharing music, and playing Minecraft until 5am. I remember talking on the Minecraft signs so my mom wouldn’t know I was awake. He was the first person I became friends with at The Open School.”
All of these memories are very meaningful to Jimmy, and she has formed some awesome friendships with people she hopes are in her life for a long time!
One of the aspects of our community that Jimmy loves most is the freedom that is offered. While they were here, they were able to accomplish a lot thanks to the time, space, and flexibility—something public school often lacks. Reflecting on their experience, Jimmy shared:
“Being here, you get to teach and learn. The people you meet give you a sense of belonging, and it’s nice knowing that they are there for you. Everyone is very welcoming. Each individual has a story and different things they enjoy, and that’s the whole purpose.”
The freedom Jimmy experienced was deeply impactful. Through their journey of Self-Directed Education, they not only grew in many ways but also learned a lot about themselves. The person Jimmy was when they first enrolled is completely different from who they are now. In the past, talking to people was a struggle, but over the last four years, Jimmy has grown significantly in confidence and in their ability to advocate for themselves and for others. Jimmy shared:
“I have gained the knowledge that I do have a voice, and I can use that voice. I am a person in this world, and if I continue to work hard like I have been, I can do whatever I want. The world is your oyster.”
As time went on, Jimmy naturally took on more leadership positions within our community and developed a strong interest in business. In fact, she started her very own online business to sell her fursuits, Squeekity Stuff, back in 2022! Since then, she has sold 12 fursuits – three of which were international orders!
Her time here has allowed her the space to explore her identity and discover who she is and who she wants to be. They have gotten more comfortable with putting themselves out there and are continuously expanding their comfort zone to embrace new opportunities!
Jimmy plans to attend Orange Coast College to study General Marketing while continuing to work at Rita’s, her mom’s Italian Ice and Custard restaurant. She’s been working there since October 2019, and with the money she saved, she recently purchased her own car—at just 17 years old! Paying it off entirely on her own is one of her proudest accomplishments during her time as a student here. At Orange Coast College, Jimmy intends to earn her associate degree before transferring to another college to complete her bachelor’s degree.
In addition to her academic goals, Jimmy has a variety of creative plans for expanding her business. She’s excited to start selling her work in new ways—like making keychains and stickers—and hopes to participate in pop-up events and artist alleys. She also has several new fursuit designs in the works and is considering opening commissions for custom orders.
As Jimmy completes her final year at The Open School, she has some advice to share for current and incoming students:
“If you feel like there’s something you need to make your experience more comfortable, speak up. Take advantage of the school budget and the fact that your voice matters. You are never a burden for asking for help.
Things also take time—finding yourself, figuring out who you are and what you want to be. Don’t rush it. Use this time you have as kids to really learn about the world and the people in it, because that’s what you’ll be surrounded by when you’re older.”
Jimmy has been one of the longest-standing students in the virtual program and has contributed so much during their time here. They are grateful for their experiences and are looking forward to exciting new adventures in the future!
