A Real Survivor:Jessica Wiser

When Jessica Wiser took a Web design class at Eastern High School last year, she expected to become more tech savvy. But she didn't expect to learn special-event organizing skills too. "We were doing Web sites for different businesses and non-profit organizations." she said.

Jessica's assignment held special meaning for her. She worked with classmate Meghan Chapman to design a site for We Survive, a health-and cancer-awareness group.

"My mother had breast cancer. She's a survivor of six years in remission," Jessica said. Jessica's father, Gary Wiser, died of brain cancer before Helen was diagnosed. "It made me stronger," she said.

After working closely with We Survive director Sharon Cecil for several months to transform health and empowerment information into an attractive Web layout, Jessica was ready to invest more time in the organization and its youth-outreach program, Women Offering Wisdom (WOW). "Sharon wanted us to get a WOW club involved in our school," so Jessica began recruiting friends to join. The resulting club is small, with only a handful of regular members. But under Jessica's leadership as president, they have been instrumental in organizing a large youth-empowerment event.

Called Lightfest, it's an annual gathering of students from elementary school through high school with a strong focus on inspiration and education. Sharon Cecil organized the first lightfest five years ago after a life-changing experience. "Sharon was asked to be a torch carrier for the Olympics." Jessica said. "That was a really big triumph for her because she had had breast cancer herself."

Jessica, and 18-year-old senior, has been working for several months to help market this year's Lightfest. She gets together with other WOW club members weekly to draft press releases and take care of other public-relations tasks.

"We're trying to inspire youth to get together, not just for breast cancer, (but) just to come together and talk," Jessica said.

Their marketing efforts have already proven fruitful. "We're actually getting responses, which is really, really great," Jessica said. "We had a poster contest in our school. There are actually three winners." Images from the winning entries will be combined into a "larger-than-normal poster" for the March 24 event.

As Jessica describes it, Lightfest will offer activities and demonstrations that appeal to young people of varying interests. It's to be held at Churchill Downs in Millionaires Row. "Once you get off the elevator, there will be lots of booths set up." Jessica said.

Highlights will include a karate demonstration, a variety of craft activities, a Girl Scout information booth and even "lessons in how to mount a pony."

Then there's the culminating march around the infield of the track, the Walk of Hope. Participants will led by a torch, designed by members of an Eastern High art class. The lighted torch is an appropriate symbol for both the walk and the overall event, Jessica said, because the underlying message is about contagious empowerment.

"It's just to have positive energy and attitude in life," she said. "We're trying to encourage youth to believe in themselves and follow their dreams."

Jessica encourages all interested young people- and- parents- to attend Lightfest, which will be held from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. (entry through Gate 10). There's no charge for admission, and free hot dogs and soft drinks will be served.

Jessica is a convincing spokeswoman for personal empowerment and Lightfest because she believes in the message-and because she lives it. In addition to her WOW efforts, she disperses an impressive amount of positive energy as part of Eastern's marching band flag corps. She tutors two elementary kids reading and vocabulary weekly. 

She also has been president of her youth group at Temple Shalom for the past two years. Whenever possible, she attends conventions held by National Federation of Temple Youth. "I was just in Columbus for regionals, and 10 days before that I was in California for nationals."

It's a lot of traveling, but Jessica insisted, "It's definitely not a vacation. We learn about our Judaism to become a better Jew." During conventions, she works on local community-service projects and new relationships.

"I've made many friends that I will keep in contact with," she said.