At the beginning of the 2020-21 school year, activities director Jill Mortensen started the “My Intent Project”. She started this project to bring joy, happiness, and awareness to the community of Ripon High. 

This project all started with a gift to Mortensen, aka Morty, from her sister; a bracelet with the word “Breathe” on it. It was a constant reminder to find balance in life. Morty then thought, what if she could bring the same positivity to the staff, students, and community of Ripon High? 

“I think it is a great way to come together and have something that represents this year,” freshman Kylee Brown said.

As we all know, COVID has been hard on everyone. The My Intent Project has helped bring light into the community as we face these challenges together. It has also helped bring positivity to staff and students’ lives as they get to communicate what they value most in their life. 

“Having a project that’s entire concept revolves around a person’s individual values emphasizes the significance of personal growth throughout life, which isn’t always recognized in school culture,” senior Kate Villegas said. 

The My Intent Project is also a gateway into allowing students to take steps forward into becoming who they want to be. Having a word that represents one’s biggest values in life can be a great way to keep one motivated in working towards personal goals, or even just reminding themselves of something important to them. Your word can also remind you that even though we are in tough times right now, we will get through them. 

“I wanted this to be a project that brought joy to an individual’s life during these challenging times. At the same time, it was a way to unify our school in a positive message. We are united through our own words, being strong to get through this pandemic,” Mortensen said.