Teen Thrives at Tough New England School

Making the transition from middle school to high school can be a daunting challenge even for students used to being at the head of the class.

For Jessica Watson, 14, a former honor student at Walter Reed Middle School in North Hollywood, the change also involved a move to an exclusive boarding school in New England.

Jessica has adjusted to life at Governor Dummer Academy in Byfield, Mass., the oldest boarding school in America, with success, school officials said. She has maintained a 3.5 grade-point average while running cross-country, playing the violin and performing with the drama club.

Jessica was first profiled in The Times in May after she was awarded an annual $22,000 academic scholarship to attend the secondary school, which was founded in 1763.

“Jessica is an awesome addition to the school,” said Peter K. Werner, director of communications. “She is seen on campus as someone with a purpose, but still has a smile on her face.”

Getting used to rigorous academic standards was the toughest challenge Jessica said she faced after arriving at the 650-acre campus, situated at the edge of an Atlantic salt marsh 33 miles northeast of Boston.

“The workload is harder, but it’s not so bad that I can’t have a life,” Jessica said, during a break between classes that include honors algebra, chemistry, history, art, Latin and English. “There really is no slacking off. If you want to slack off, you really have to plan to.”

Routine calls to her parents and e-mail messages from California friends have helped to alleviate her homesickness, Jessica said.

“The first couple of days most people had their parents here,” she said. “My grandmother was here and helped me to get settled in. She was a familiar face.”

Even after her grandmother left, Jessica said, students and faculty went out of their way to make her feel welcome. “People say ‘Hi’ on campus. When they know you don’t know anyone, they introduce you.”

Still, interviewed before the holidays, Jessica was looking forward to going home for Christmas break and soaking up the California sunshine.

“It’s freezing outside. People are walking around in shorts and I’m wearing wool everything,” she lamented. “These people don’t know what warm is. They think 72 is hot.”